


Carpe Occasio

by sg1mouse



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drama & Romance, F/M, Magic, Post-Canon, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-06 13:37:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 94,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11601735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sg1mouse/pseuds/sg1mouse
Summary: A moment in time… For Daniel, all his life he embraced each and every moment… After a serious injury he must make some drastic choices when a secretive race offers him healing. A race that has a curious connection to Daniel. And, will Vala stay with him as he journeys through each unexpected turn?





	1. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’d like to thank my beta, Solstice Winter, for lighting a fire under my ass to get this puppy done. For challenging me to grow as a writer, and for being patient with all my insecurities.  
> Also to magnavox_23 for her fantastic art work. Please make sure to check it out!  
> And to eilidh17 for putting all this together and answering all my newbie questions.  
> Finally, to my family for (mostly) leaving me alone to do my writing.

****

**Chapter One**

_04 August 2008 — Planet Designation: P20-993 — 21:30 hours_

  
The rumbling had stopped an hour ago, but dust and dirt still hung in the thick air.  It was darker than pitch.  Someone could wave a hand an inch in front of your eyes, but you wouldn’t see anything, only feel the slight breeze that it made. 

Ears still ringing from the cave-in made Vala’s head throb.  She slowly shook it to try and make the fogginess disappear, but that only served to increase the pounding behind her eyes.

Reaching out blindly to brush off the dirt and stones, Vala Mal Doran took stock of her condition.  That’s when the memory hit her, Daniel Jackson, her friend, and a teammate had pushed her clear of the heaviest part of the cave-in.  She stretched out her limbs, noting that nothing was broken and sat up.

Coughing the grime out of her lungs, Vala called out in a rough voice, “Daniel?”

The only answer was her echo.  She began to feel around for anything familiar.  Vala’s hand hit her pack, and she let out a sigh of relief.  Rifling through it blindly, she found her flashlight and turned it on.  The moment she did, she wished she hadn’t.

“Daniel!”

Scrambling over to the archeologist, she started to brush away the loose dirt and rocks off him, looking over his body.  His whole lower half was buried under tons of debris.

“Daniel, can you hear me?” she asked him as she continued to try and dig him out.  “Daniel… come on, wake up!” Vala pleaded with the unconscious man, “You know I don’t like to be alone.”

A barely audible groan was the sweetest sound Vala thought she had ever heard, “Daniel, darling?  Are you with me?”

Coughing and spitting dirt and blood from his mouth, Daniel moaned again.  He was facing down with earth and rocks all over and around him.  His head ached— his chest ached— everything ached.  Except his legs— they seemed to be fine.  He couldn’t move them, but at least they didn’t hurt.  Daniel tried to move his arms but could not.

“Lay still, darling, you have most of the cave lying on top of you.”

“Wa… wa…,” clearing his throat he attempted to speak again, “Wa… ter.”

Vala reached over and pulled her canteen out.  She looked at the way Daniel was laying and supposed it would make a mess to pour the water into his mouth, not to mention it would probably drown him.  She rummaged through her pockets and pulled out a handkerchief.  Dousing it with the water, making sure it was good and soaked, she placed it beside Daniel’s mouth.  He sucked on it greedily.  The water was cold and felt good on his earth crusted throat.  When he had enough, he shoved the cloth out of his mouth with his tongue.

“Thanks,” his voice was barely a whisper.  “Wha’… hap… pened?”

Taking a drink herself, then splashing a small handful on her face, she said, “Well… as the cave began to collapse, you shoved me out of the way, and now we are buried with no way of getting out anytime soon.  Half the ceiling is on top of you.  And if I remember correctly, Muscles, Cam, and Samantha have gone to check in with the SGC, which means a five-hour trip there and back again, sooooo…”

Daniel let out a groan, “So we’re… sssscrewed.”

“Pretty much, yes.”

They were quiet for a short time, absorbed in their thoughts.

“Daniel, darling?” Vala placed a hand on his head and began to stroke his hair. “Do you think we’ll get out of this?  Alive I mean?”

He didn’t answer.  She poked at his shoulder until he groaned.

“Hey, stay awake.  I need someone to talk too.”

“Sssorry… ‘ired,” he mumbled.

The silence wrapped around them again, squeezing the darkness closer.  Vala took her flashlight and shined it all around them looking for anything that could help.  She spotted Daniel’s backpack not far away and crawled over to retrieve it.  She knew he always had a stash of Power Bars with him, and she was desperate for chocolate.

“Vala?”  Daniel’s voice was weak.

“Yes, darling?”

“I… I, I can’t fffffeel my legs.”

The little color left in her face drained away.  She reached over to him and carefully ran her hands down his back.  When her fingers were just south of his butt, she sucked in a gasp.  A boulder was sitting squarely on the back of his legs, crushing them.  And she could feel the warm, stickiness of blood leaking from somewhere on his side.

The thing that concerned her most although, was that he couldn’t feel his legs at all.  She knew that meant his back might have been broken.  It was a pretty good guess that the massive rock had come down on Daniel’s back, knocking him down then landing on his legs, crushing them.

So much dirt and stone debris piled around the linguist that Vala concluded she wouldn’t be able to remove enough of it to help get him out.  Plus, if she did move any and more came down in its place, she could bury him alive by accident.

With a good attempt at a normal voice, she said, “Oh… since you’re just lying around, they probably fell asleep.  When the others get us out, you will have that pokey and stab-y feeling most likely.”

Daniel chuckled though it hurt like hell to do it, “Tttttha… that’s…  pins ‘nd… ne… needles.”

“Yeah, that,” she tried her hardest to keep the fear out of her voice, but he could sense something was wrong.

“Vala,” Daniel croaked, “um, w’y don’t… you see… if you ‘an ssshh… ssshift ‘ome of da… ‘ocks… dirt… ‘way ffffrom… en… trance.”

She leaned over him, smirking, “And which way is that, precisely?”

With both his arms pinned underneath him, the only thing he could move to any extent was his head.  He tried to point with his nose, “T’at way… I fink.  Sssee ‘ow ttttick aaaat… da ‘op.  Mmmmight nnnot get ou— out, but  ggget fresh— fres’… air ‘nd a, a, a ra… doh sssignal ‘ut.”

Vala slapped her forehead.  The radio— duh!  Pulling her discarded tech-vest over, she clicked the call button.

“Cam?  Can you hear me?”

Static.

“Muscles?  Anyone?”

“Nnnn… not gonna gggget  sig— sig’al ‘n ‘ere,” Daniel said very quietly.  “Vala, dig… at… ‘op—”

His voice faded at the end and she knew he was drifting into unconsciousness.  Taking her canteen to splash a little water on him, she lightly tapped his cheek.  He was warm.  And she hadn’t noticed before the small pool of blood that his face was lying in.

“Oh, my gods— you have a head wound, too?!  Daniel!  Wake up—, please!  I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I wasn’t thinking.   I should’ve checked you over better!” her tone was shrill and scared.

“I’m… fffffi… jjjust… ‘ig.”

“I don’t know what to do for you, Daniel… Why didn’t I go with them and let Sam stay?  She would know what to do!”

By now, he could hear the tears she was trying to choke back.

“Va…la… is ‘kay.  I bbbbe fine…” he mumbled.  “I, I… gllllad… you ‘re ‘ere.”

With a sniffle, she asked, “Really?  You are?  You must be concussed then!”

Vala bent over and gave him a light kiss on his cheek.  His skin was actually burning up.  His temperature seemed to be rising quickly so she placed her wet handkerchief on his forehead to try to bring it down.  This galvanized her into action.  Jumping up, she went over in the direction Daniel had indicated and looked over the situation.

She worked on the never ending wall of fallen stones for what it seemed like hours.  Every nail on her hands was broken within the first ten minutes.  She would stop and take a drink every so often and then check on Daniel.  He hadn’t said anything since telling her that he was glad she was there with him. From time to time, he would moan, the only thing that let her know he was still alive.

When Vala was about to give up, the debris gave way enough for the cool night breeze to swept in.  Congratulating herself tearfully, she made the hole as wide as she could.  She indulged for a moment, sucking in the much needed fresh air, before jumping down to sit by Daniel.

Placing her hand on his head, she noticed he was still scorching.  She rubbed his cheek softly leaving a muddy streak from her fingers behind in the sweat that covered his face.  She listened to the ragged, wheezing of his breaths and knew he had to get help soon, or she was going to be alone… for good.

Grabbing her tech vest, she again climbed to the top of the cave-in mound and pushed the radio part out the hole, keeping the mic/receiver part with her.

“Vala Mal Duran calling SG-1— Please respond—,” she said in an exhausted voice.

Static.

“SG-1— Please respond, this is Vala Mal Duran and I have a medical emergency—”

Static.

Pressing her hands to her eyes, she sat down beside her teammate.  She was hot, tired and dirty.  Her head hurt like Goa’uld pain stick was inside poking at her brain.  And she had done everything to get to the outside, and yet it still amounted to squat.  How?  How had this happened anyway?  Oh yeah, it was her fault.

She and Daniel were, surprisingly, fighting over something she couldn’t even remember.  In a fury, she kicked at an unassuming timber strut several times until the old rotting wood finally broke under the assault precipitating the cave-in.  Daniel noticed the imminent catastrophe and ran to push his teammate out of the way, just as the entire ceiling crashed down on top of him.  That set off a chain reaction which closed off the entrance and efficiently trapped them.  The only thing in their favor was the fact that they were so close to the opening of the cave that when the rest of SG-1 got there, it shouldn’t take too long to get them out.  Vala just hoped that they would both be alive by the time their friends reached them.

A strangled groan coming from her half-buried teammate pulled her out of her thoughts.  She brushed his hair off his forehead.

“Daniel?  Darling?  You awake?”

“Mmmm… ‘mi… dead yet— again?” he mumbled.

“No, love, you’re not dead.  I’m trying to keep you that way too.  Do you need some water?”

Licking sore and bloody chapped lips, he nodded slightly.

Vala picked through Daniel’s bag looking for a clean cloth of some sort and found his bandanna.  Again wetting it thoroughly, she placed it into his mouth.  He sucked on it, but without much heart.

“Sssshanks… um… tanks—.  You ‘kay?” he asked, always looking out for the others before himself.

“Yes, darling, I’m all right.  Bump on the head, nothing to worry about.  Do you think you could maybe eat a little of a Power Bar?”

“Nnnnot ‘ungry.  I… fffeel air.  Is good.  Nice.  Wwwa… waking me up a bit.”

Vala brought the flashlight over to see if she could find the source of the blood flow by his face.  He grimaced when the light shined in his eyes, and she noticed right away that his pupils stayed dilated. Gently Vala turned his head up slightly and saw that he had a long gash running from somewhere around his temple down his cheek almost to the corner of his mouth.  The blood was crusted over and mixed with dirt to form a crude bandage, but at least it was no longer flowing.

“How do you feel?” she always thought that in times such as these, this was a stupid question.

“Bbb‘etter,” he attempted to smile.  “Can’t feel legs at ball— head-ach not bbbad.  Got shrrr— thhrrr… ough… outside?”

“Yes.  It’s a small hole, but the night air is blowing this way.  I haven’t gotten a hold of the others yet.  They should be back soon— I hope.”

Her voice was strained and weary.  Daniel wished he could help somehow, “‘ay, grab blittle… ssssleep.  You n’t ssss… sssoun’ to good.”

“This coming from the archeologist trapped under rocks,” she said with a smirk.

“VALA, DANIEL!” Colonel Samantha Carter’s voice came from the mouth of the cave where the hole was.  Vala jumped up and ran to the entrance.

“Sam!  Boy, am I glad to see you!  Daniel is hurt— bad.  I can’t get him out.  Most of the ceiling is on top of him and Sam,” Vala lowered her voice to a whisper, “I think his back is broken.”

Carter’s sharp inhale signified fear and worry.  Sam pushed two canteens of water through the opening for them.

“I’ll radio Cam and tell him to head back to the ‘gate and get a rescue and med team here.  Teal’c and I came back before him since it was getting so late, but we couldn’t dial out at first.  Something happened Earth side.”

“Samantha, please tell them to hurry.  He’s not doing well.”

The Colonel heard a desperate plea in her friend’s tone and nodded.

“He’ll pull through, Vala.  Never knew Daniel not too— one way or another.”

Carter then pulled out the small med-pack she always carried and handed Vala a morphine shot, “Give him this, it will help with the pain.  Anywhere you can find a suitable vein.”

Trying to smile, she took the syringe and went back to tell Daniel that their friends had returned.  When she reached him, he was passed out again.  Vala placed her hand on his head.  His fever was as high if not higher than before.  She removed the handkerchief and re-soaked it with fresh water, placing it gently back on his forehead.  He murmured and opened one eye.

“Daniel— Sam and Teal’c are outside the cave.  They’ve radioed Cam to get us some help.  I also have a morphine shot and some fresh water.”

She set about soaking the bandanna and giving it to him so he could drink.  When he had enough, he muttered his thanks to her.  Next, she gave him the shot, wincing as he groaned.  After a few seconds, he felt a warm tingly feeling— mixed with the unmistakable hazy, floaty sensation of the morphine starting to work.  Closing his eyes, he let himself drift off into oblivion.

* * *

 

_04 August 2008 — Planet Designation: P20-993 — 23:45 hours_

 

Vala was bored.  Even with Daniel’s life on the line, she couldn’t help but get restless.  She hated not to be doing something.  It was always in the quiet moments when her mind would turn on her and she would relive the horrors of her life as a host.  And now this.  She couldn’t stop thinking about how she had been the cause of the cave-in and it was Daniel paying the price.

She knew since it was still night outside Sam and Teal’c would not be able to do anything for them until morning.  The breeze that had felt wonderful an hour ago was now making her cold.  She knew that Daniel would also be and couldn’t afford to get a chill on top of everything else.

Pulling her backpack over, Vala hunted for the small silver package that supposedly held a blanket.  When she found it, she ripped it open and to her great surprise, it really was a blanket.  How clever those Tau’ri were sometimes.  Getting as close to Daniel as she could without hurting him, she pulled the cover over both of them.

“Mmm… ffffeels nice,” Daniel said quietly.  “How… doin’, Vala?”

“I’m fine, thanks.  A bit bored, though.  You?”

Daniel could literally feel the life ebbing away from him.  He didn’t want Vala to worry and do something extreme trying to get him help and hurt herself in the process.  He had recognized from the first time he woke up that he probably wasn’t going to get out of this one alive.  He had seen the boulder that was about to fall on her when he shoved her out of the way.  As soon as Daniel was awake enough to do a mental damage assessment, he knew he was fucked.  But he had to keep Vala going.

“Gggget… mmmmy jour-nal out ‘or me.”

“You’re going to write something now?  I’d pay to see you try!”

Daniel groaned, “Sssssmar’-assssss!  Tought you rrrread ta me.”

She dug out his leather bound-journal and flipped through the pages.  Most of it was in some sort of code, but towards the back was what looked like a story.

“You want me to read you this— is it a story you’ve written?”

“Y’h,  why nnnot?  May… be you ‘an… gggguess who t… it’s ‘bout.”

Vala scanned the first page, thinking this was going to be boring to the extreme.  Most likely something to do with reading about dead civilizations or dusty old ruins.  Taking a breath, she began to read his story.

> _Late one evening, while I was in my office—_

“As usual,” Vala piped in.

“’Ey… ‘oo’s tellin’ tis… ‘ory?”

“Okay, okay… I’ll go on with your little yarn.”

She began reading again, in a quiet, and soothing voice.

> _I was beyond tired but had a nagging feeling.  Like someone watching me.  Suddenly, she was there, as a night breeze she wafted into my office and closed the door.  Slowly she made her way over to me and placed warm hands on the back of my neck.  It sent chills down my spine.  I knew I was at work but… what the hell, I just went with the moment._
> 
> _When she ran her fingers through my hair, I could feel her soft, moist breath blow across the nape of my neck.  I melted.  It was as if she knew that was one of my most sensitive spots.  She reached around and removed my glasses, carefully placing them on the bookshelf behind her.  I tried to say something only to have her place a finger on my lips and shake her head._
> 
> _Leisurely, this woman spun me around to face her, raining delicate kisses on my eyes, nose… lips.  Her eyes… oh my God, her eyes.  She had the most incredible smoky blue eyes.  And her lips… full, rich, dreamy and ready to devour me whole.  As those lips came closer to mine, I took a deep, anticipating breath.  She consumed my mouth and brushed her tongue over my lower lip, demanding entrance, which I willingly gave.  She delved inside and embarked on mapping every inch of it, slowly and methodically._
> 
> _I ran my hands up her sides as she invaded me orally.  Her smooth body glided beneath my touch.  I could feel her shiver under my caress.  Her hands carded through my hair as she continued the most incredible kiss I ever had.  A small moan escaped my throat only to be swallowed by her ravenous mouth.  I needed her closer, so I pulled her to me— felt her rub her ample breast against my chest.  She wiggled her way between my legs and casually slid one hand down between us, unbuttoning my shirt… slowly.  Blood raced to my groin, awakening a part of me that hadn’t felt pleasure in a VERY long time—_

“Daniel!” panting slightly, Vala managed to say, “I didn’t know you had it in you to think dirty like this.”

“Yyyyy’u wan— ted ‘ometing t’do.  You gonna ‘tinue… or too in… decent ‘or you?” he snarked.

“Answer me this— who’s the woman?”

“Nnnnot tellin’.”

“Come on. I need a visual to help me here. Pleeeaseee!”

“N’pe.  ‘ust gonna ‘ave’ta wait ‘til… end.”

She sighed and was about to start reading when she heard Teal’c at the entrance of the cave.

“ValaMalDoran.  DanielJackson.  I am going to begin to dig out the entrance.  Are you at a safe distance from this hole?”

Vala quickly got up and went to the opening.  She didn’t realize that the morning had come already.  She was too focused on reading Daniel’s story.

Clearing her throat, she said, “We are back about ten feet or so, Muscles.”

“The rescue crew is on this planet, and will soon be here.  Do you have need of anything?”

“I could use hot bath right now,” she joked.

“I promise to take you to the Hot Springs Spa when we return, ValaMalDoran,” Teal’c said as he inclined his head.

“I’ll hold you to that, Muscles!”

She tried to give him a winning smile but knew it was a rather lackluster one instead.  When she settled back down with Daniel under the blanket, she noticed that he had drifted off to sleep again. She really wanted to keep reading his tale but decided not to read ahead.  She closed his book, putting back in his pack and then shut her eyes.

* * *

 

_05 August 2008 — Planet Designation: P20-993 — 06:00 hours_

 

Vala awoke after what seemed like only a few minutes, to hear the labored breathing of Daniel beside her.  She reached out to rub his head only to find it soaked with sweat.  Concern swept over her and she pulled the blanket back to see his eyes screwed closed while he was panting and struggling for air.

“Daniel?  Baby?” she cried out. “Calm down darling, you need to breathe slowly.  Please, Daniel… come on, you need to take slow breaths.”

She could tell that he was trying to do as requested, but it was hard for him.  He looked like he was drowning without being in the water.  This worried her.  She thought that he could indeed be drowning if his lungs were filling up with fluid.  She had no idea how bad his internal injuries could be, but hearing him now— she knew that they needed to get him out of there and back to the SGC, as soon as possible!

When he seemed to get his breathing under control, Vala brushed the hair from his forehead and whispered, “Darling, I’m going to see how Teal’c is doing with getting us out of here.”

He nodded slightly with a small whimper.  Vala got up and headed over to the now considerably larger hole.  If she were alone, she would be able to wiggle her way out of it now.  Seeing Teal’c next to the hole, she crawled up to talk to him.

“Teal’c, how’s it coming?  Daniel is fading fast.  We need to get him out of here!”

“The medical team is currently on its way aboard ATV’s.  They will be here within the hour.”

“Teal’c— I don’t think he has an hour,” her voice was stressed and the Jaffa could see the tears she was trying valiantly to hold back.  “Do you suppose that Samantha could squeeze in here and look him over?  Please.”

“I will ask her for her assistance, ValaMalDoran.”

Vala went back over to Daniel and sat with him.  Rewetting the cloth with fresh water and placing it back on his forehead, she listened to the gurgling sound of his breathing.  Whispering to him soothingly, she gently stroked his cheek, “Please stay with me, Daniel.”

“Mmm ffff ‘ine.  Wa… wa’er?” he murmured.

“Sure, wait a sec.  I have to get the other canteen.”

She scooted away and retrieved the new containers that Carter had sent through earlier.  When she got back to him, he was out again.  Nudging him awake, she got the water drenched bandanna in front of his mouth.  He sucked on it greedily for a long while.

“Fanks.  Need—d ‘at.”

The light was going out of his eyes.  Vala was sure if they couldn’t get him back to the SGC soon, he was going to die.  She did NOT want that to happen!  A grunting noise came from behind her.  Vala turned to find Sam sliding into the cave.  Once in, Sam turned around and grabbed a med kit that was handed to her through the opening.  And then, to Vala’s great surprise, Dr. Lam came scrambling through the hole.

“Oh, thank the stars!” Vala shrieked.  “Please, he’s gonna die if we can’t get him out if this damned cave.  You’ve gotta help me save him.  I don’t need any more deaths on my conscience!”

Dr. Lam was instantly by Daniel’s side to assess his condition.  Her face was stern and schooled without emotion.  She quickly ran her hands over all of his exposed body and turned to Carter.

“Tell them to send in the other box, now!!!”

Colonel Carter yelled up to the team on the outside to send in the requested box.  The look on Carter’s face told Mitchell that he had better get the engineers working double time or the band was going to be down by one.

“Vala,” Dr. Lam said to the alien woman, “I need you to help me stabilize him.”

“What can I do?  I don’t have any medical training.”

“No, but you can use one of these—”

The slim, no-nonsense doctor lifted out of the container that she had just received, a Goa’uld healing device.  Vala immediately took the tool, slipping it on and began to hold it over Daniel’s body.  Concentrating hard on healing his head wound first.

“That’s it, Vala.  We have to give him time.  Alleviate some of the trauma.  There really isn’t much we can do about his back until we get this rock off of him,” Dr. Lam quietly said.

The process took a lot of energy out of the former host.  Vala wasn’t exactly uninjured herself.  But she had to do what she could for the man that not only saved her this time but also believed in her and called her his friend.  Soon, she dropped her arms to her side with a long, weary sigh.

“That’s all I can do.  I stopped the bleeding and tried to ease the pressure on his lungs.  This won’t be able to heal his back, Dr. Lam.  It’s beyond the power of the device.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, Vala.  You’ve probably just saved his life, though.  I’ve got to get an I.V. going on him.  Can you two help me dig his arms out from under him?”

Very carefully, the three women began to dig under the wounded archeologist.  Just as they were able to gently pull on Daniel’s left arm, he woke up with a howl of pain.

“Sorry, Daniel,” Dr. Lam stilled the struggling man, “we have to get one of your arms loose so I can get an I.V. hooked up.”

Through clenched teeth, he hissed out, “N’t tink— I un-bbbbend it, Dddd… dddoc.”

“How about the right one?”

“Uh-uh.  N’t… ‘at one— eit’er.  Th’t ‘ne ‘urts… mmmmore.  Ssssorry.”

Dr. Lam reached over to her medical bag and pull out an even larger needle, “Guess I have no choice.  I’m going to have to give you an E.J. I.V. Daniel, and it’s going to hurt like a son of a bitch.”

“Knnnnow I sssstill  aaaalive… dden.”

The newest CMO of Stargate Command wiped his neck with antiseptic and then inserted the needle.

Cringing at the pain, Daniel again howled out, “AAAHHH CRRRRAP!”

“I’m going to slowly start you some fluids.  Can you tell me where you hurt?”

“Ev’rywhere— ‘cept lllllegs,” Daniel said with a moan.

“Can you be a little less cryptic?”

Daniel was beginning to pass out again, “— my b… ‘ack ‘n ch… ches’ mos…  mos’ly.  Arms when I ‘ry ta mov’em.  ‘ead bbb’ad too.”

“Okay, Daniel,” Lam spoke sternly, “you’ve got to stay with us.  No, sleeping.  I need you to remain somewhat alert for me.”

“I t’y,” he murmured.  “Ch’ck ‘ala… will you, Ddddoc?  Che  n’t  doin’ real well…”

“Oh, don’t you worry about me, darling.  I’m a tough girl,” Vala whispered.

He faintly smiled at what she said, “Know dat— j’st like… fruitc’ke.”

The tears escaped when Vala heard that.  Sam pulled her away toward the entrance so they weren’t in the way and put a blanket around her.  She then grabbed their backpacks and put them by the entry.  They both then sat down and Carter put her arm around the shoulders of her friend.

“He’s in real danger, Samantha,” Vala said quietly.

“I don’t think he’s been this bad since he came home with radiation poisoning six years ago.”

Leaning her head on the Colonel’s shoulder Vala inquired, “How did he get out of that one?”

With a heavy sigh, Sam closed her eyes trying to fortify her emotions, “Um, he didn’t.  He died.”

Vala’s head shot up and she looked at her friend in distress, “What?!  But, he’s here— now.  And I know you guys don’t have a sarcophagus!”

“Vala, Daniel has died more times than I can remember.  That time was the longest he was away, though.  He ascended, went to live with the Ancients.  Then he got kicked out about a year later because he wouldn’t follow the rules.  So Oma, I guess you could call her his sponsor, sent him back.  Didn’t he ever tell you about that?”

“No.  He never did.  And the mission reports sorta glossed over the him dying part.  They just said he was _missing in action_ ,” she said.  “He really doesn’t talk much about his past.”

Sam gave her a small, sad smile, “Yeah, he likes to hide from it.  Kinda funny when you think about it.  The fact that he’s an archeologist and everything he loves is in the past.”

“Maybe his past is just too recent for him to consider,” Vala said.

“Or to painful—”

They fell into a thoughtful silence and soon Vala was asleep with her head resting on Sam.


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

_05 August 2008 — Planet Designation: P20-993 — 11:25 hours_

  
Vala woke up with a start when Daniel screamed out in pain.  She jumped up to go over to him when she saw that the cavern was filled with SGC engineers.  They had shored up the roof with a series of metallic pillars.  The entrance to the cave was open and people were filing in and out with tools or buckets of dirt.  She looked over at her friend.  Most of the dirt was off him and they were working on removing the boulder pressing down on the archeologist.  Vala rushed to his side when she heard him whimper. 

“Daniel, darling— sweetie, it’s going to be okay.  Be strong, darling, it’s alright, we’re going to get you home soon,” she could hardly speak.  Rubbing his head gently, she continued to whisper to him encouragingly.

Dr. Lam kept a close eye on his vitals.  She knew that Daniel was in a great deal of pain, but she could not give him any more medicine.  She needed him to be somewhat alert to keep track of how he was doing as the boulder was removed.

When the engineers were ready to lift the rock off of him, Dr. Lam instructed Teal’c to quickly and carefully pull him straight out from under it.

“Daniel,” the C.M.O. spoke quietly to him, “this is going to hurt— a lot, but I need you out from under this thing and into surgery.  I have a makeshift operating tent set up outside to get you stabilized enough to travel back home,” she paused to see if everyone was in place, “Are you ready, Daniel?”

A curt nod was all she received.  Standing up and pulling Vala aside, Dr. Lam motioned for the workers to lift the rock.  With the sound of straining ropes and a generator grinding away, the boulder moved slowly up.  As soon as Teal’c could see Daniel’s boots, he took a hold of his tech vest and gently slid the archeologist out from under his entrapment.

The scream of pain would ring in everyone’s ears for days.  Luckily for him, Daniel passed out as soon as he was pulled free.  Even the great leader of the free Jaffa nation looked close to tears, as he helped to ready his friend for transport.  There was a backboard swiftly strapped to Daniel as well as a neck brace.  Upon making sure he was still breathing, the medics lifted him up and rushed him to the surgical tent, with Dr. Lam close behind.

Grabbing her teammates backpacks, Colonel Carter guided Vala out of the cave behind stretcher when the mud-covered woman started to hyperventilate.  One of the field nurses gave her a shot of Valium and told her she should rest.  Seeing a large purple bruise on the side of her head, the nurse handed Vala, an ice pack.

A rumbling and dirt began to fall from the cave’s roof.  Alarmed, one of the engineers ordered everyone to drop what they were doing and get out, the place was no longer safe.  In the scramble to leave, a lot of the equipment was left behind and the box containing the healing device was kicked into a corner.  With a sudden tremor and a sound like agonizing death, the cave finally collapsed. Luckily, all of the personal made it out in time.

Taking stock of what had been removed from the cave, Sam turned back just as the entrance disappeared, a look of horror on her face.

“Shit, Cam, the box with the healing device is still inside.”

“So?”

“So… it’s the only one we have!”

“Well, like my momma always said; _No sense in cryin’ over spilled milk_.  Let’s just hope we won’t need it again— soon.”

* * *

 

_05 August 2008 — Planet Designation: P20-993 — 14:35 hours_

 

Even with the valium, Vala was in a towering temper for the loss of the healing device.  She could have used it to help Dr. Lam with Daniel.  She was full of nervous energy, and couldn’t sit still longer than two minutes.  Cam had tried to get her to go home with the engineering team, but she refused to leave her teammates.

As the hours went by both of the colonels sat flicking cards at a tin coffee can in agitated boredom.  Vala had finally fallen asleep after awhile.  The two soldiers were surprised when a jeep pulled up to their camp.  This was not the first time that ATV’s and Jeeps had been brought through the Stargate to another planet— but typically, it only happened on worlds that were already explored.  Such change of protocol went to show how important Dr. Daniel Jackson was to everyone.  They had lost him so many times in the past that, whenever he was in trouble, all the stops were pulled.

Another shock came when General O’Neill walked into view after getting out of the jeep.  Mitchell and Carter snapped to attention, but Vala, who awoke when she heard the motor, barely acknowledged his presence.

“At ease, campers.  Jeez, how many times do I have to tell ya that?” Jack snarked at his Colonels.

“Sorry, sir,” Carter said sheepishly, “force of habit.”

Giving her an annoyed nod, he said to Mitchell, “Any word yet?”

“No, sir.  It’s been about three hours.  A nurse came out and was asking around for blood donors.  Carter, Vala and I weren’t a match.  Not sure who they got.”

Jack started towards the tent without a backward glance.  Mitchell and Sam looked at each other for a second, then fell into step behind him.  When he reached the tent flap, he was stopped by a medic.

“Sorry, sir.  Dr. Lam says no one enters without her permission.”

“Could you see if she needs any more blood for Daniel?  We have the same type,” Jack informed the airman.

Nodding, the young soldier stepped inside and disappeared.

“I forgot you and Daniel were the same blood type, sir,” Carter said.

Jack shrugged, “Yeah, it comes in handy when your best friend is a walking catastrophe waiting to happen.”

The other officers silently nodded, waiting for the airman to return.  When he emerged, an exhausted looking Dr. Lam followed him.  The trio of friends surrounded her but didn’t dare ask any questions by the look on her face.

After an agonizing silence, Dr. Lam let out a long sigh and said, “He’s not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination.  In fact, he is barely stable—”

The mummers and gasps began and Carolyn held up her hand to quiet them. “In the morning we will be able to move him back to the SGC, right now I’ve put him into a medical coma so I can _hopefully_ keep him alive for the trip.”  She sat heavily on a nearby crate and rested her head on her hands.

“Uhm…” a husky voice came from behind Sam.  Vala was wringing the warm ice pack in her hands and asked, “will he live?”

“I’m not positive, Vala.  I won’t lie to you.  Maybe if we could have gotten here sooner.  He’s lost a tremendous amount of blood—”

“Will he walk again?” Vala interrupted the doctor.

Carolyn Lam was quiet.  She didn’t even look at Vala.  In the dead silence, everything that had happened finally caught up with the former space pirate.  Cam moved quickly to catch her as she went to her knees.  Dr. Lam went to check her.  Vala tried to bat the doctor away irritably.

“Vala, you have concussion.  You really should go back to the SGC and get x-rayed.”

“Not without Daniel.  I won’t go anywhere without him!” she told the group heatedly.

And that was the end of that.

* * *

 

_06 August 2008 — Planet Designation: P20-993 — 06:00 hours_

 

The noise of hurried business stirred Vala Mal Duran awake.  When she opened her eyes to the bright morning sun, she noticed the flurry of activity.  Everywhere she looked soldiers were rushing around and packing up.  She panicked.  Vaulting off the crates she was laying on, she ran over to Colonel Mitchell.

“What’s happened?!” she nearly screamed in his face, “Where’s Daniel?”

Taking hold of her by the shoulders and shaking her slightly, Mitchell tried to calm her down.

“Vala! Chill!  We’re getting ready to move him back to the SGC.  That’s all.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, she quieted some.  Taking a moment to steady her breathing, she leaned on Cam, “Oh, thank the heavens.  He’s still alive then?”

Mitchell tensed, “Well…”

Vala looked up startled.

“He… he’s alive, but just barely,” upon seeing the fear on her face, he pulled her into a comforting hug.  “Ah, princess, he’ll pull through.  Most stubborn man I’ve ever met.”

“But it’s my fault he’s hurt,” she sobbed into his shoulder, finally reaching her breaking point. “I didn’t know the beam would break when I kicked it.  He saved my life by pushing me out of the way.”

Cam could hardly understand her by the end, but he got the gist.  “Princess, Jackson is _always_ sticking his neck out for others.  And I’m sure he won’t blame you for a cave-in.  The place was dicey to begin with and he knew it.  That’s why he told us only two in at a time… just in case.”  Leaning back a little he wiped the tears off her face, smiling warmly at her, “What he will need most is for you to be strong for him.  Help him through this.  Okay?”

Sniffling, Vala lifted watery gray eyes to meet bright blue ones.  She nodded slightly and wiped her face with her sleeve, “I’ll try Cameron, but I don’t think he will let me.  Daniel doesn’t like having me around very much, in case you haven’t noticed.”

She turned to leave when Mitchell caught her hand.  He leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Don’t be so sure about that, princess.  Locker room talk begs to differ with that assumption.”

Before she could interrogate him further, Cam turned and strode off to help with the evacuation.  Vala stood looking at him, completely dumbfounded.

 _Daniel has talked about me in the locker room?_  With a slow growing smile, she turned to head off and find Dr. Lam to offer her assistance with Daniel’s move.

Mitchell saw her walk towards the med tent and noticed her usual Vala bounce was starting to come back.  He couldn’t help but grin.

Teal’c had heard what Mitchell told Vala.  He walked up behind his teammate and said, “Did you just break the unwritten code of honor by informing ValaMalDoran what is said amongst the men in the locker room?”

“Ah, Teal’c, my friend to see her even a little more lively, it was worth it.  Besides, Daniel really needs her now.”

“Indeed.”

* * *

 

_06 August 2008 — Planet Designation: P20-993 — 11:50 hours_

 

Just as the sun was reaching its zenith, two corpsmen placed the coffin-like capsule containing Daniel onto the back of the waiting jeep.  Dr. Lam and Vala got in with him to monitor his vitals during the trip back to the ‘gate.  General O’Neill insisted on driving and Cam called shotgun before Carter could.  She wasn’t too happy about that, however, when Teal’c came by on an ATV to give her a lift, she brightened slightly.  The team would go back together.  That’s what was important.

The drive back to the ‘gate was slow, with multiple stops along the way.  Halfway there, Daniel flat lined scaring everyone, but Dr. Lam pulled him back yet again.  She was growing concerned, though, and it showed on her tired face.

As they neared the ‘gate, Carter and Teal’c drove faster to get it open and request the med team Earthside to be ready for Daniel’s arrival.

“I don’t like the look of Dr. Lam’s face, it worries me,” Sam told Teal’c sadly.

“Have faith, Colonel Carter, I know that DanielJackson will pull through,” he spoke with utter assurance that Sam could not allow herself to feel.  “I believe that he has come to realize what his heart has wanted for many years, is now within his grasp,” Teal’c finished.

Sam looked at him with surprise, a slight smile played about her lips, “Teal’c?  Is there something you would like to share?”

He just gave her that infuriating Jaffa grin.

“Oh, come on Teal’c.  I need something happy to think about right now!  Spill!”

Just as he was about to say something, O’Neill’s voice crackle over their radios. “Fire it up, Kids!  Be there in five.”

Sam sighed and pointed a threatening finger at her teammate, “I’m not done with you yet, Mr. Silent Jaffa Warrior.”

Still grinning, he lifted an eyebrow and nodded his head to her.

* * *

 

_06 August 2008 — Earth, SGC — 15:30 hours_

 

The rush of activity in the ‘gate room was overwhelming.  Colonels Carter and Mitchell came through the ‘gate first to make sure everything was ready.  Cam then radioed O’Neill, telling him to come on through.

As soon as Jack and Teal’c stepped onto the ramp with Daniel’s stretcher between them, the medical staff was by their sides to help.  Dr. Lam and Vala were next, with Carolyn shouting out orders.

“Is O.R. 2 ready?  Andrews, check on Dr. Harris’s ETA!”

“He’s already here, Dr. Lam,” Andrews replied.  “I’ve got him up to speed and he’s waiting in the O.R.”

Dr. Lam smiled at the young man, “Remind me to bully General Landry into giving you a raise.” She then turned to the rest of her team and shouted, “Okay everyone, we have a man to save!  Let’s get on it!”

The medical crew rushed out of the ‘gate room with Daniel.  Sam caught hold of Vala and held her back.

“Let them do their job, Vala.  You need to get checked out and rest.”

“But—” Vala began to protest.

Sam kept hold of her arm, “No buts, Vala.  You’ve been through a lot.  You need to rest.  Come on.”

She steered the reluctant woman to the infirmary and stayed with her.

* * *

 

_06 August 2008 — Earth, SGC — 17:30 hours_

 

It had been only two hours when Vala woke up.  She looked around and saw Sam asleep in a chair next to her.  As soon as she stirred, the Colonel was up and by her side.

“How are you feeling?” Sam asked quietly.

“Better.  Daniel?”

Sam looked down and sighed heavily, “I haven’t heard. He’s still in surgery.”

“That means he’s alive… Right?”

Sam thought about that, “Yeah, you have a point.”

Vala started to get out of bed when the other woman stopped her, “No, Vala.  You have a concussion.  You need to stay here for awhile.”

Shaking her head, Vala tried to push Carter off her, “I need to go to him, Samantha.”

“We must wait. Dr. Lam is doing her best.  She even called in a specialist.  I’m sure that Daniel is in good hands,” Sam’s voice sounded positive.

“But… but this could be— literally, _the straw that broke the elephant’s back!_ ” Vala said.

“That’s camel,  Vala.  And we don’t—”

“Even if his back isn’t beyond repair, he won’t be able to walk without some sort of aid most likely.”

Sam had to agree with that.  Taking Vala’s hand she said, “At least he could keep working here at the SGC.”

The women heard someone and turned to see Jack approaching.  Vala nearly jumped out of the bed to get to him.

“How is he?  Can I see him?  What’s going on?” she jumbled her questions together so fast that O’Neill could barely understand her.

“Hold on there, Vala,” Jack said kindly, “why don’t you sit down, okay?”

She was going to protest when Sam gently pulled her back over to the bed, “Come on, Vala.  Sit down.”

After she had got back on the bed with Sam next to her holding her hand again, Jack sat in the chair that Carter had been sleeping in.  He ran his fingers through his almost entirely white hair and let out a long, tired sigh.

“Daniel is in post-op now,” he began, “he’ll live.  His back wasn’t broken, but the spinal cord was pretty smashed.”  He let out another long sigh, “His… ahem— his legs, however, were a mess.  They did their best to pin them back together, but this specialist guy, ah… Dr. Harris is pretty sure he won’t be able to walk again.”

Vala slumped against Sam and said, “It’s all my fault…  If I hadn’t kicked that beam…”

Sam held her tight and stroked her hair, “Vala… it was an accident.”

“Why?  Why Daniel?” she asked.

Jack couldn’t help but smirk at that, “It’s _always_ Daniel, Vala.  It’s as if the cosmos has placed a big _kick me_ sign on his back.  With how that boy tries to see the best in everything and all the good he has done for the universe, ya’d think his karma would be better.”

“It should have been me!  Why did he save me?!”

“Because that’s what Daniel does.  No matter who it is, he will always put his own life on the line to make sure another life is saved,” Jack said in a quiet voice.  “Everyone on SG-1, hell the planet, at one time or another has been rescued by Daniel Jackson’s undying selflessness.”

Vala wasn’t used to showing anyone what she was feeling, but it was getting hard to hold back her emotions.  She looked at O’Neill and asked, “Can I go see him, please?”

“In a little while.  Dr. Lam told me she’d come and get you.”

Vala nodded, and took a corner of the sheet and began to wipe at her eyes.  She didn’t want to be seen with a tear streaked face.

Jack and Sam were called away to the briefing room, leaving Vala alone with her thoughts and worries.  An hour later, Dr. Lam came in to see her.

Vala sat up quickly, “Can I see him now?” she said with hope.

Dr. Lam gave her a tired smile, “Yes, you can, Vala.  But first let me prepare you for what you’ll see.”

Vala closed her eyes and braced herself for what was to come.

“I assume that General O’Neill told you about his back and legs.”

The raven-haired woman nodded.

Dr. Lam continued, “You were able to heal some of his head injuries, Vala.  You undoubtedly saved Daniel’s life.  His legs… his legs were severely crushed.  We tried to pin them back together, but the damage is just too great.  The possibility of his walking again is not realistic.”

Vala couldn’t help the gasp.  Carolyn patted her arm.  After a minute, the doctor gave her a tired smile and asked, “Want to go and see him now?”

She was off the bed and striding towards the door before Dr. Lam could blink.  Just before they reached Daniel’s room, Vala stopped and ducked into a bathroom.  “I’m not going to see Daniel looking like this,” she said to the doctor.

With a quick fix of the hair and washing her face, she left the bathroom looking very much like the confident con artist she once was.  Putting on a smile, she nodded to Carolyn and the two women entered the ISO room.

Vala almost lost her composure when she saw him.  Daniel was strapped to a striker frame and face down.  His face was sticking through a hole in the bed that enabled him to see and breathe.  The former pirate tried her best to remain in control of her emotions but was finding it hard to do.

She noticed that half of his face was bandaged and the other half was all shades of black and blue. The one eye that wasn’t under white gauze was closed and she could hear his labored breathing. There were so many machines humming and beeping around him, it made her want to cover her ears.  The tears were starting again.  She couldn’t help it, seeing him like this.  Vala slowly walked over and sat on the small stool next to him.  There was a mirror placed on the floor beneath Daniel’s face so he could see around him.

Sniffling a little, Vala cleared her throat.  “Daniel,” she said softly.

It took a few moments, but he began to stir.  With one eye covered and the other so swollen, he barely got it to open.  Trying to focus his vision, he groaned quietly.

“Daniel?” Vala said again.

Looking into the mirror, he saw her sitting next to him.  He tried to give her a smile, but it looked more like a grimace.

“Hey…” his voice was hoarse and gravelly.

Dr. Lam brought a cup of water with a straw, handing it to Vala.  Placing the straw in Daniel’s mouth, he drank greedily.  Vala pulled it away saying, “Not so fast, sweetheart, you’ll make yourself sick.”

He tried to nod but couldn’t.  She placed the straw back in his mouth and he sipped the water this time.  When he had enough, he pushed the straw out with his tongue.

“Thanks!” he murmured, “you seem to be doing this a lot for me lately.”

Vala nodded.  She wanted so badly just to throw her arms around him, but with all the wires, tubes and straps, there was no way she could.  The only part of him that she could reach was his hand. Clasping it tightly, she began to rub her thumb across the back of it.

Daniel stared at her for a while.  He could sense her unease.  “How are you?  Are you hurt?”

Vala lost it and started to cry, “Oh, Daniel…”

“Don’t— don’t cry, Vala.  I’m alive.  If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be.  Dr. Lam told me that you used the healing device so I could be stable enough to be pulled out from under that rock.”

Vala wiped her face with her free hand and smiled at him, “It’s not that, darling.  I broke every one of my fingernails digging out of that cave.  Worrying about you is giving me a terrible headache! With you laid-up, I won’t have anyone to rescue me when I get myself into trouble.   _And_ I lost my favorite curling iron in the cave-in!  I’m seriously contemplating therapy.”

Daniel laughed softly though it hurt him to do so.  “That’s my Vala,” he said.

She was startled by his calling her _his Vala._  A warm feeling grew in the pit of her stomach and again wished she could hug him.  But the thought that his predicament was her fault slammed into her mind again.

She whispered, “If it weren’t for me, Daniel, you wouldn’t be in this condition.”

“That’s not true, Vala.  The cave was unstable.  If anyone is at fault— it would be me.”

She shook her head and said in a slightly pissed voice, “Oh, Daniel, you are so full of shit.  Why do you always blame yourself for things?”

“Just used to it, I suppose,” he answered as his eye drifted closed.

“You sleep now, baby.  I’ll stay here with you.”

“Mmkay,” he muttered as he fell asleep.

Vala repositioned herself on the stool and laid her head against the frame of the bed.  Holding onto his hand just to make sure he was really there and alive, she quietly kept watch.

**  
**


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

_21 August 2008 — Earth: SGC — 16:50 hours_

  
Two weeks later Daniel was removed from the striker frame and put in a real bed.  He took stock of all his injuries.  His right arm was broken the right side of his face was still under bandages.  He had six broken ribs, all of them in the back, and a few cracked ones in the front.  His back was healing surprisingly fast and that made everyone happy.  His legs were in a cast that went from his toes to mid-thigh. 

Daniel was grumpy and depressed at his lack of movement.  He begged Jack and Sam to bring him his laptop and some work to do, but General Landry agreed with Dr. Lam that he needed to rest and recuperate.

Then there was Vala.  She didn’t want to be far from his side, so she moved into his ISO room.  That wouldn’t have been too bad, but she also started to decorate it with balloons, lamps with a cloth draped over them, scented candles, and other _girly_ stuff.  She added flowers, ones that would not stir up his allergies and scared the crap out of him when he awoke to find a green-faced woman with curlers in her hair staring down at him.  He grumped about feeling like he was in a sorority dorm room.  It was almost unbearable when he woke up one night to find she had painted flowers and smiley faces on his casts with nail polish.  He prayed that she didn’t do his toes too, but he couldn’t see to check.

Daniel assured Vala that he would be okay on his own, but she would have none of it.  Still feeling responsible, she wasn’t going to let anything else happen to him.  She also noticed how dull his eyes were as if he had given up.  That bothered her more than anything else did.  Most of the time he would just lie there and gaze off into nothing, answer questions with one or two words.  He never smiled.

“Vala,” Daniel grumbled at her two days after she moved in, “what could happen to me here?  I’m in an ISO room for God’s sake, hooked up to every kind of monitor there is!”

“Yes, dear, but you never know.  I mean, this _is_ the SGC.  I’ve read all of the reports about alien insurgents and insurrections!  And there have been quite a few, you know,” she explained happily.

Rolling his eye at her, he tried to come up with other reasons she should go back to her quarters.  Unfortunately, none of them worked.

Late one night, Daniel woke up screaming from a nightmare.  Vala was by his side instantly, rubbing his head and whispering softly to him.

“Shhh, sweetheart.  It’s okay.  You’re safe.  Everything is okay.”

Taking as deep a breath as his broken ribs would let him, he calmed down under her soothing touch.  He looked into her eyes and saw the concern she had for him.  That made him wonder if she really did have feelings for him, more than just the flirting and teasing, or even worse, a misguided sense of guilt.  Lifting his left hand, he cupped her face and smiled.

“Thanks,” he softly said.

His warm hand sent shivers down her spine and she leaned into his touch.  Closing her eyes for a moment, she savored the contact.  It was so tender and freely offered that she couldn’t stop the sting of tears.

“Hey,” he said in a low voice.  “Hey, it’s okay.  I’m okay now.  Just a bad dream.”

“I know.  I just—” she sniffed and pulled away from him, not wanting to be too needy.  “You just scared me, that’s all.”

Nodding his head, he said, “Thanks for staying with me, Vala.  I know I’ve been kind of a bastard lately… I’m sorry.”

She smiled at him and took hold of his hand, “You’re entitled.”

They were quiet for a long time, just holding hands and lost in their own thoughts.  Vala was trying to think of where she could get her hands on another healing device.  With the Tok’ra off doing their own thing and with Carter’s dad gone now, it was practically impossible to get a hold of them.  And the Jaffa nation was quick to destroy any Goa’uld reminders regardless of their use.  She thought about a place where she remembered there being a sarcophagus, but she wasn’t sure if it was still there and working.  Plus, she knew how much Daniel hated those things.

As for Daniel, he was deep into a pity party.  He had been severely wounded before, but this was different.  He knew he wasn’t going to die now, but he probably wasn’t going to walk again either.  That really bothered him.  Closing his uninjured eye, he thought of all the missions he would miss and the sights he would no longer be one of the first people to see in hundreds of years.

As he contemplated his role at the SGC, another thought kept creeping in.  What was he _really_ feeling for the woman that had saved his life and now held his hand?  He thought back to the cave and his story he let her read.  Hearing his words with her voice made his stomach do a flip-flop.  Rubbing his thumb in circles on the back of Vala’s hand, he felt a comfort at having her here with him.  He thought about how she had changed in the last few years and how proud of her he was for that change.

But had _he_ changed?  The part of his mind that he tended to stuff down was encroaching on his defenses.  She really was a beautiful woman.  And he really hadn’t let himself entertain those kinds of thoughts in a very, _VERY_ long time.  But was she the one?  Did he have the courage to take a chance with this spirited woman?  Was he ready for the heartache— was she ready for something real?  Would she want him, now that he felt like a shadow of his former self?  Would she want to be tied down to an invalid?

Letting out a deep sigh, he opened his eye to look at Vala.  She was almost asleep again, her head resting on the side of his bed.  Sliding his hand out from under hers, he began to run his fingers gently through her hair, hooking it behind her ear so that he could gaze at her face.  God, she was so beautiful.  He'd be an absolute idiot if he didn’t try a relationship with her.  Give and take.  That was all he needed to do.  One step at a time, but could he take that first step?  Could he open up enough, bare his soul and take the chance of having her rip out his heart?

He rolled his eyes and asked himself, _what kind of man are you, Daniel Jackson_?  He knew what Jack would call him… _a hopeless ass_.  Then again, he pretty sure Jack had never gotten over Sara in all these years.  He figured that’s why O’Neill and Sam had never actually taken a chance.

Vala stirred slightly and let out a soft moan.  Daniel smiled and continued to comb her hair with his fingers.  It felt… nice, right even, having her lying there, with him.  Well, sort of, with all the wires and tubes and the casts on three-quarters of his body, she wasn’t really in the bed.  Still, he was taking great joy in the feeling.

“Daniel…” Vala whispered, “are you awake?”

“Yeah.”

“When can I finish reading your story?  The one in your journal?”

Her eyes fluttered open and she fixed a smoky grey-blue gaze onto him.  The corners of her mouth inched upwards in a typical Vala grin.  A shiver raced through him and came to a thundering stop in his groin.  Slowly blinking his unbandaged eye, he decided that now was not the time.  Not yet.

“I, I don’t know, Vala.  I think maybe it’s… not something that should be, you know, out in the open.”

She saw the sheepish look on his face and relented, “Maybe later, darling.  Why don’t you go back to sleep?  You look drained.”

He smiled at her and nodded.  He was getting sleepy again.  Closing his eye, he was shocked when he felt her lips on his.  The kiss was soft and chaste, but boy did it pierce his heart.  Vala pulled away reluctantly.  She smiled at him as he opened his good eye, a look of shock and pleasure on his face.  She leaned down and kissed his forehead.

“It’s time for you to get some sleep, Daniel,” she murmured sweetly and pressed the morphine drip to help him.

He nodded and slid into the void as the pain meds began to course through him.

“Good night, darling.  Sleep well,” Vala whispered and went back to her bed.

* * *

 

_05 September 2008 — Earth, SGC — 05:30 hours_

 

It was 05:30 hours and the halls of the SGC were still quiet.  Sam walked with determination towards the briefing room.  She had gotten a phone message that there was a meeting at 06:00 for SG-1.  Nothing else was said and she spent a restless night wondering what was going on.

Of course, that wasn’t the only thing going through her mind.  She hadn’t had the time to corner Teal’c to find out about Daniel and Vala, but she hadn’t forgotten either.  Sam had a feeling that this had something to do with their 50 years aboard the Odyssey.  Even though Teal’c swore never to tell them what happened during that time, she planned to weasel some information out of him about those two.

When she entered the briefing room, Teal’c was already sitting in his usual place.  Sam knew he would be the first one there.  Sitting down in her spot, across from him, she fixed an icy glare at the Jaffa.

Lifting an eyebrow, the big man asked, “Is there something on your mind, ColonelCarter?”

Continuing to stare at him, Sam said nothing for a long moment.

“You wish to know of the relationship between DanielJackson and ValaMalDoran,” the corner of his mouth twitched with amusement.

Cocking her head to the side and smiling back at him, she couldn’t help the twinkle in her eye.

“Ya think, T?” she asked in a passable imitation of O'Neill.

Teal’c closed his eyes and recalled their time aboard the Odyssey.   _He would catch the two in question wrapped around each other in a passionate kiss, totally oblivious to anything or anyone around them.  At times, he would hear strange noises coming from what was thought to be empty rooms, only to find them in varying degrees of undress.  They never noticed him, so he kept the encounters to himself._

Opening his eyes, he tilted his head and grinned at Sam, “I would be betraying my orders of not revealing what occurred aboard the Odyssey during our time of entrapment in the time dilation field.”

Sam was about to protest when he raised a finger halting her, “An order that was given to me by one Colonel. Samantha. Carter.”

She opened her mouth to let him know what he could do with that order when Cam and Jack walked into the room.  Standing up to come to attention for her superior officer, O’Neill glared at her.

“Would you _stop_ doing that!” he snarled.

“Sorry, sir,” she said as she stifled a giggle.

They all took their seats and waited for General Landry to come in.  Cam saw the look Sam was giving the Jaffa and knew they had walked in on something.

“Tried to get information from Teal’c about a certain archeologist and pirate princess, huh?” Cam asked Sam with a grin.

She looked down at the table, growing red in the face.

“Won’t work, Carter.  I’ve already tried.  Rock of Gibraltar, this one is.”

Amidst laughter, General Landry walked into the room.  Carter and Mitchell both jumped to their feet as he approached the conference table.

“As you were,” he said as he took his seat at the head of the table.

Looking around for a moment, Landry let out a long sigh.  “I’ve been on the phone with the President, the IOA, and several others.  I have received permission to let SG-1 have one week to locate and procure a healing device or a sarcophagus to heal Dr. Jackson.  However, this was done with great trepidation.  It only goes to show us how highly regarded Dr. Jackson is.”

He looked at Mitchell, Carter, and Teal’c, “For this mission, you three have a new team member.”

The two humans began to protest when Landry held up his hand to silence them.  With a smile he asked, “Jack?  You think you can wangle these young’ens?”

With a wry smile, he answered his colleague, “Well… I think with Teal'c backing me up I can keep these kids focused and on task.”

“Should we let Daniel in on this?” Carter asked.

Jack thought about it for a moment, “Let’s not… just in case we don’t find anything.  We should keep Vala out of the loop too.  She’s already on the knife’s edge where Danny is concerned.”

Sam nodded, but she didn’t look happy about leaving them in the dark.

“You leave tomorrow morning,” Landry said.  “Colonel Carter, I want you to work out a list of known planets that may still have a healing device or sarc on them.  We will go over it at 18:00 hours.  That will give you a solid plan of attack for your travels.”  Standing up, General Landry gave the others a curt nod and left for his office.

Mitchell turned to Carter and gave her a wink, “You think you know of anywhere we could start?”

“I’ve got a few places we could look.  My only problem is, I’m not sure how many of them may have been decimated by the Ori.  Quite literally, we’ll be looking for a needle in a galactic haystack,” she said.

“Oh, come on, Carter,” Jack said as he stood to leave, “you blew up a sun once.  This should be easy as… cake.”

“I believe the phrase is _easy as pie_ , O’Neill,” corrected Teal’c with a grin.

“Pie, cake, whatever.  I’m hungry now.” Jack answered with a mock scowl.  “And who’s the alien around here anyway?”

The four-team members left together, eager to get started on helping Daniel walk again.


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

_11 September 2008 — Earth, SGC — 22:10 hours_

  
Things were not looking good for Daniel.  SG-1 had been to quite a few planets but still came up empty handed.  Between the Goa’uld destroying their home worlds to keep the Ori at bay and the Ori destroying Goa’uld technology to prevent retaliation, things were looking pretty slim.  Jack was getting ever more aggravated and Sam was exhausted from all the overtime she was putting in to find someplace— _any_ place they might have overlooked.  Their deadline was fast approaching and all of them were desperately grasping at straws. 

Late at night, before the last day they were permitted to search, the team got together in Sam’s lab.  Since Daniel was doing better physically, they decided to ask Vala to join them, just in case she could come up with something _outside the box_.  But each idea that was brought up was just as quickly shot down.  They were tired and irritable.  All of them, blurry eyed, combed through each mission report, lost in their own thoughts.

Cam stood up and stretched.  “Ohhhh… man.  I’m wiped.  My brain is mush.”

Vala looked up from an old report from SG-1.  “Hey,” she said getting up from her seat, “what about these guys?”

She handed the folder to Sam, who looked over it.  As she read the planet’s designation, her eyebrows shot up and she smiled.  Carter gave the report to Jack.

“The Nox?” he asked.

“Why not?  They brought us back from the dead; they should be able to heal Daniel,” Sam replied.

“If I remember correctly, they were not eager on sharing with us,” Teal’c mentioned.

“It’s worth a try— for Daniel,” Vala pleaded.

“We promised them we wouldn’t drop by anymore,” O’Neill said as he rubbed a hand over his face.

Sam took the file back from her C.O. and tossed it onto the desk with an air of scarcely restrained anger.

“Fine,” she spat, “Vala and I will go and talk to them.”

Jack looked at her amused.  With a soft smirk he nodded, “Alright, Carter, simmer down.  We’ll run it by Landry.  If he agrees, we’ll head out to the Nox tomorrow.  We still need to keep this on the down-low from Daniel.  I don’t want to get his hopes up.”

Sam smiled sheepishly and nodded back at him.

“Come on, campers, let’s get some rack time.  I’ll go talk to Hank and let you all know in the morning.”

With murmurs of agreement, the group left Sam’s lab and headed to their on-site quarters.

* * *

 

_11 September 2008 — Earth: SGC — 23:00 hours_

 

O’Neill went down to General Landry’s office, knowing that Hank would still be there.  As he walked to the elevators, he really couldn’t help but believe that this mission would not yield any better results than the last several had.

His thoughts turned to Daniel.  He had suffered so much in the past 12 years and most of it because of this place.  Add that to his already tragic childhood and Jack really couldn’t understand how the man could stay so positive and trusting.

Leaning on the wall waiting for the elevator to come, Jack felt a hand on his arm.  Turning, he saw Vala standing next to him with an anxious look on her face.

“What can I do for you, Princess?”

She smiled at his reference to her as ‘Princess’.  Vala knew he had picked that up from Cameron.

“Do you think that these… Nox will help Daniel?” she asked with apparent desperation.

Jack dropped his head down and let out a sigh.  “I don’t know, Vala.  The Nox are unusually… peculiar.  I just hope that the Ori never found them.”

Seeing that she was upset, Jack put a comforting hand on her shoulder.  “We’re trying, Vala.  And if we can’t find anything to fix Daniel, he’ll have you to help him get through this.”

These words were the kindest ones that he had ever spoken to her.  With a sniffle, she gave him a quick hug, surprising O’Neill.  He watched as she walked away… back to Daniel.

* * *

 

_12 September 2008 — Earth: SGC — 05:00 hours_

 

The next morning, Sam made her way to her friend’s ISO room, “Daniel.”

The soft voice seemed to reach his sleeping mind and stirred him into wakefulness.  Slowly he opened his unbandaged eye and focused on the smiling face hovering over him.

“Sam?” he whispered.

“Yeah, it’s me.  Sorry to wake you… I’ve given this a lot of thought and feel that you have a right to know what we’ve been doing.  Just so you have something to hang onto.  We’re going to visit the Nox today.”

“The Nox?” his eyebrows furrowed together.  Clearing his throat he asked, “Why?”

“We’re going to see if they can help you.  Heal your legs so you can walk again.”

Looking confused, Daniel shook his head.  “I… I don’t understand—”

Sam pulled a chair over and sat down, glancing over to make sure Vala was sleeping.  “We’ve been going out to different places trying to find a healing device or a sarc.  We haven’t had any luck, though.  So… now we’re trying the Nox.”

Daniel let out a long breath and closed his eye.  “You guys don’t have to do that.  I’ll… I’ll be fine.” His voice sounded anything but fine.

Sam took his hand in hers and squeezed it, “This team would do anything for you, Daniel.”

He started to object, when she pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him.

“Just as all of us know, you would do the same.”  She stood up and kissed him on the cheek.  With a bright smile Sam said, “I have to go now.  We’re scheduled to leave in an hour.  Keep Vala out of trouble.  Oh… and don’t tell Jack I said anything.”

“Are you going to get into trouble?”

She grinned, “Nah! I’m a full-bird colonel now, he can’t intimidate me anymore.”  She took a quick look to make sure the General wasn’t behind her and said, “Besides, he didn’t _actually_ say it was an order.”

Daniel chuckled.

As a nurse came to check his vitals, he said, “I have the best friends in the galaxy.  No.  They’re more than friends.  They’re more like family— the pack that’s always there.”

When she left, he fell back to sleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

 

_12 September 2008 — Planet Designation: P3X-774 — 06:05 hours_

 

As soon as they emerged from the Stargate, it disappeared.

“Déjà vu,” O’Neill mumbled.

“This happened before?”  Mitchell stared at the empty spot where the DHD had been moments before.

“Yep,” Sam said.  “It’s their way of saying, _Hi, we know you’re here_.”

Jack buckled up his P-90 and put his sunglasses on, “Well, kids, let’s go find us a Nox… in socks…”

“On a box with a fox—” Sam said with a smirk.

“I do not believe there are any foxes on this planet,” Teal’c intoned.

Cam fell into step next to the Jaffa.  “ _Fox in Socks_!  That was one of my favorite books.”

“And here I thought you were a _Green Eggs and Ham_ sorta guy,” Jack said.

“Sam _I_ am!” Carter raised her hand in the air.

Teal’c cocked his head curiously, “What do you speak of?”

Jack turned his head and grinned at the big man, “You mean to tell me that you’ve been on our planet for over twelve years and never read Dr. Seuss?”

“Is this Dr. Seuss a man of medicine or a doctor like DanielJackson?” inquired Teal’c.

“Actually, he wasn’t a doctor at all and his name wasn’t Seuss,” Sam said.

“So he was an impostor and a fraud.  A master of deception.”

“Sort of,” Jack couldn’t stop his laugh. “He was probably the world’s greatest children’s author.”

“Shhh…” Cam went to one knee looking into the tree line.

He heard a rustling and slowly drew his weapon level.  Jack clamped a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

“Wave that around and you’ll lose it.  Just warning you.”

Standing back up, Mitchell raised an eyebrow, “Huh?”

“The Nox are peaceful and they have a strange way of making weapons disappear,” said the General.

Sam walked up to Mitchell and whispered, “I told him not to bring them, but you know the General.”

“Yeah, O’Neill without his weapon would be like O’Neill without his pecker.”

Sam’s face went red as she laughed quietly.

The wind rustled through the trees like paper wind chimes when a high-toned voice behind them spoke, “Good day.  We were expecting you sooner.”

The team spun around with hearts in their throats and their guns at the ready.

“ **Stop that!** ” Jack demanded of the annoyingly stealthy Nox.

The small, moss-covered young man smiled at them.  “It has been a long time, friends.  I am sorry that we must meet under such circumstances.”

Cam leaned over and whispered in Carter’s ear, “My gun is missing!”

“Better check your pecker then,” she whispered back with a grin.

“You won’t need any weapons here, Cameron Mitchell.  The Nox do not wish to harm anyone.”

“But…”

“The General did warn you, ColonelMitchell,” Teal’c said with a Jaffa’s version of a smirk.

“You’re Nafrayu, right?  It’s been a long time.  You’ve grown,” Jack said.

“Yes, like all living things.  I remember you, O’Neill.  The great hunter.” Nafrayu smiled at him.

Jack shifted from one foot to the other, remembering the time that the young boy watched as he used a bow and arrow.

“Since you seem to miraculously know why we are here, is there anything you can do to help our friend?  You remember Daniel, right?  The peaceful one?”

“Yes, we remember him fondly,” Lya said as she appeared next to Nafrayu.

“Hold on a sec— how did y’all know we were coming?” asked Cam.

“With races that are evolving rapidly, the Nox keep them under observation.  With the very young, understanding that their actions will cause either a positive or negative impact on the universe as a whole, seems to escape them,” Lya said.  “And we trade with some of the planets you have been visiting.  Because you were asking about a healing device for one of your people, we knew it was only a matter of time for you to come to us.”

“Oh,” was all Mitchell said.

Jack was getting anxious, “ _Can_ you help Daniel?”

Lya and Nafrayu looked at each other for a long moment, communicating silently.  Nodding in agreement, Nafrayu turned back to the team.

“We cannot help Daniel—,” he said.

Jack threw up his hands in frustration, “ _Outstanding!_ ”

“But,” the young Nox continued unperturbed, “there is a race that may help you.  We will contact them and see if they would be willing to let you bring Daniel into their realm.”

O’Neill let out a huff but nodded— taking it for what it was… a possibility.

* * *

 

12 Septe _mber 2008 — Earth: SGC — 07:00 hours_

 

The sound of the klaxon had Vala running to the control room.  SG-1 was coming back and she hoped it was with good news.  However, when she saw the looks on their faces, her heart sank.  Turning to race down to the ‘gate room, she nearly bowled over several people in her rush.

She met them at the blast door as it opened.  O’Neill was the first one through and didn’t stop for her at all.  Cam followed behind likewise.  Sam stopped and with a sad look, shook her head.

“What?  What does that mean?”

“The Nox can’t help Daniel—” Sam started to say.

Vala reached for the wall, disappointment etched on her face.  Sam reached out to steady her and said, “Hold on, Vala.  _They_ couldn’t help us, but they did have an idea of who might be able to.”

Vala resumed her composure and listened intently to Sam as they walked up the stairs to the briefing room together.

“It’s a race that we have never come across before.  Apparently, they’re very private.  The way that they have kept the Goa’uld and the Ori away is by not letting anyone know about them.”

Vala stopped suddenly causing Sam to run into her.  “Oh, sorry… but if they are wary of outsiders, why would they help us?”

“Well, the Nox said that they would contact them first and ask if we could come see them.  If that doesn’t work…” Sam trailed off,  “we really are out of ideas.”

Vala nodded her understanding and they continued into the briefing room.  With the whole team assembled, General Landry came in.

“What did you find out?” he directed his question at Jack.

“The Nox were painfully _unhelpful_ in regards to healing Daniel themselves,” Jack remarked. “However, they know someone that _can_ help.  The problem is, these people don’t take kindly to strangers.”

General Landry closed his eyes and shook his head.  “Why can’t anything be simple when it comes to Dr. Jackson?”

There were smiles all around the table as well as nodding of heads.

“I warned you, Hank.  Daniel is the biggest football bat of the whole SGC!”

“When will the Nox get back in touch with us?” the General asked.

“In a few days,” Sam said, “we hope.”

With a deep sigh, Landry nodded, “Alright, I’ll inform the President and you all can have some down time.  When we get the word from the Nox… Well, we’ll tackle that when it gets here.  Dismissed.”

All of SG-1 stood to leave.

“Um, sir,” Carter reached out to stop O’Neill from going, “I sort of told Daniel what we’ve been doing and that we were going to see the Nox today.”

“ **Carter!** ” exasperation coloring his voice.

“Well, you didn’t say it was an order, sir.”

Jack rolled his eyes, “Might as well go and tell him then.  And Carter… ah, never mind.”

* * *

 

_12 September 2008 — Earth: SGC — 07:45 hours_

 

Vala and Sam went up to see Daniel to tell him what had happened.  In the elevator, Vala turned to the other woman.

“Samantha,” she said softly, “you’re good friends with Daniel, right?”

“The best.  He’s always been there for me, no matter what.”

Vala was quiet for a moment, then asked, “Do you have any… feelings for him?”

Sam raised her eyebrows and gave the other woman a grin.  “You mean… romantically?”

Vala just nodded at her.

“No, Vala.  I don’t have any romantic feelings for Daniel.  He’s more like… my big brother.  We’d do anything for each other.  There’s a bond that’s been forged between the team that I don’t believe will ever be broken.  You and Cameron are part of that now too.  But, no, I’m not involved with him.”  A sly grin spread a crossed her face, “why do you ask?”

Vala shrugged her shoulders and looked away.  “Did he ever get close to anyone after his wife died?”

“Nothing that serious.  I think he’s been afraid too.”

“Afraid?” Vala looked at her stunned, “Afraid of what?”

Sam bit her lip, as the doors of the elevator slid open.  Taking hold of Vala’s hand, she led her to an empty ISO room.

Still nibbling her lip, she turned to Vala with a serious expression.

“Vala, I don’t generally talk about others’ relationships, but in this case… I think you should know.  After Sha’re was taken as a host to Ammonet, Daniel had a hard time adjusting to life back on Earth.  His whole focus was to rescue his wife and Skaara.  As each mission went by and the hope started to fade, he threw himself into his work so he didn’t have to think about it.

“Then we were blindsided by Hathor, and she, well— she raped him to use his DNA for her _children_.  He was seduced by a woman, became addicted to the effects of the sarcophagus and had a hell of a time coming down off it.  When Daniel found out that Sha’re had become pregnant with Apophis’ child, he was devastated.  Plus, _he_ was the one that delivered the baby but had to leave him with his father-in-law for protection.

“About six months later, Teal’c killed Sha’re before _Ammonet_ could kill Daniel with the ribbon device.  Losing her once and for all hit him hard.  He wasn’t the same for a long time.  In fact, he almost left the SGC for good.”

Vala’s hands were covering her mouth, eyes wide with shock.

The Colonel continued, “While he was still grieving for Sha’re, another woman came into his life only to discover that it was Linea the legendary _Destroyer of Worlds_.  Jack really laid into him when he found out that Daniel was falling for her.  After that, a past love interest came back into his life, only to be taken as a host for Osiris.  It was Sha’re all over again.”

Taking a long breath, Sam watched as Vala tried to take in all the information.

“I heard a little of what happened when the two of you first met.  The ribbing and taunting?  Daniel just isn’t like that.  Didn’t you notice how guarded he was when you showed up here?  He knew you were a thief and a con artist— he wasn’t going to put an ounce of faith in you.   _Or_ play your games.  But somewhere along the way… Daniel’s feelings for you started to change.  He’d never admit it, but I could tell.

“When you disappeared as the super-gate blew up, he was miserable, and it wasn’t just because of the Kor mek bracelets.  He was right back to work as if nothing happened, the consummate artist at keeping his emotions locked away.  After you had contacted us with the long-range comm-stones to let everyone know you were alive, and married— and pregnant…,” Sam paused for a moment, wanting Vala to completely understand, “that was one of those rare times just the two of us went out— _as friends_ , and he got completely trashed.  He had a hangover for two days.

“You see, Vala— Daniel’s been burned so many times that I didn’t think he would ever look at a woman with thoughts of love again.  But he really deserves to have some happiness in that department.  I think you scare him.  I think that he has fallen head over heels for you and that terrifies him so much, he pushes you away.  I know he can’t take another heartbreak.  If you love him… _really love him_ , please be sure before you break down _all_ his defenses.”

The former pirate’s face glistened with tears.  The tragedies in both their lives had jaded their hearts to such a degree, when love did come, neither one of them could recognize it.

“I… I can’t believe how much Daniel has been through.  It never occurred to me that our pasts would be so similar.  And me… flirting and teasing.  It’s the only way I knew how to protect _my_ heart.  But when I first meet him…,” she shook her head remembering how he made her feel.  Sure they were fighting, but something about him wouldn’t let her alone.

“With Daniel— he’s the only reason I came here.  The only reason I _stopped_ running away.  No one has ever treated me with respect or trusted me enough to even call me a friend.  I’ve gone about this all wrong.”  She let out a sigh of raw emotion and said with a hitch in her voice,  “How will he ever believe that my feelings for him are genuine?”

“Vala, I believe that you are in love with Daniel.  I also think he’s in love with you.  I’ve seen it in his eyes, he tries to hide it, but it’s there.  Just… don’t play games.  Daniel is honest and that’s what he respects.”

Sam got deathly serious then, “But, if you hurt him, there will be nowhere you can hide that I won’t find you and _hurt_ you.  Understand?”

Vala’s eyes went wide and she nodded.  The two women regarded each other and Sam knew she had gotten her message across.

* * *

 

_12 September 2008 — Earth: SGC — 08:20 hours_

 

Dr. Lam was with Daniel when Sam and Vala walked in.  She was taking the bandages off his face and checking how the cut that ran from his right ear down to his lip was healing.

“I’m sorry, Daniel,” she said quietly, “but you’re going to have a visible scar.”

“Is my eye okay?”

Pulling the pen light out and shining it into both his eyes, Dr. Lam smiled.  “Yes, I think it will be.  It’s reacting just as it should.”

Daniel let out a long sigh and murmured, “Small mercies.”

He then noticed Sam and Vala and gave them a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Hey,” Daniel said without much feeling, “how were the Nox?”

Sam pulled up a chair and sat next to him.  “They… they told us of a race we haven’t dealt with before. Said they’d get in touch with them and ask for their help.  Hopefully, these guys will be agreeable.”

She didn’t sound all that confident, but Daniel understood what it was— a prospect.  He looked over to Vala giving her a half-hearted grin.  She sat on the side of his bed and reached out to run a finger softly down the scar.

“You look roughish now, a real warrior.”

“Oh yeah, that’s me… Mr. Tough Guy,” the sarcasm dripping with each word.  The idea of him being a _tough guy_ was ludicrous.

“Daniel, you are the toughest man I have ever met,” said Sam while the other women nodded in agreement.

Dr. Lam finished her check-up and left the room with Sam, who begged off on account of her work.  Vala took hold of Daniel’s hand and sighed.

“Are you doing alright?” she asked.

“I guess… just bored.  Could you get my glasses for me… and maybe a book or two from my office?”

“Sure.  Just don’t overdo it with the reading.  Don’t want to strain those beautiful blue eyes.”

He held her hand tightly and said, “You know, I never thanked you for not giving up on me back in the cave.”

Vala just shrugged her shoulders and looked away briefly.

“No, Vala,” he said in a solemn voice, “I really mean it.  Thank you.  I was sure I wouldn’t make it out alive.  You kept me going.”

It was time to see if he could really put aside his insecurities and open his heart.  Gently he pulled her down and kissed her forehead.  She pulled away only a little and stared into his eyes.  Taking a chance, she pressed her lips to his and kissed him softly.  As she began to back away, he threw his good arm around her and pulled her back down to him.  Opening his lips slightly, he invited her in and she willingly obliged.  It was nothing like the kisses they shared on the Prometheus.  This meant something… to both of them.  This kiss was consensual and wanted.  It was passionate and made their blood raced.  If it weren’t for his heart monitor beginning to beep loud and rapidly, they both would have gladly continued.

Sitting up, she smiled, “I’ll go and get your stuff.”

He merely nodded, not able to string even two words together.  It was as if she had totally kissed the brains right out of him.  Still reeling from the feelings that were burning in his soul, he decided that this was definitely going to need more contemplation.  Daniel watched her go with a perplexed expression.  He could feel his heart beating fast and wondered how it could betray him like this?  Still… maybe he could let her in.  Maybe this _really_ was love.  The pain meds must be clouding his common sense he concluded as he drifted into a restless sleep.


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

_18 September 2008 — Earth: SGC — 10:10 hours_

  
Jack paced back and forth in General Landry’s office.  The door opened and Dr. Lam walked in with Hank right behind her.

“Jack…,” Landry acknowledged him, “what’s on your mind?”

“It’s been almost a week since we’ve visited the Nox and still no word about this new race.  When I’ve tried to get a hold of the little buggers, the ‘gate won’t lock and it’s really **pissing me off!**   Daniel is withdrawn and depressed.  It seems only Vala can get him to talk and even then it’s only monosyllabic words.  God damn it!!  He’s a linguist… words are his thing.”

Dr. Lam nodded her head in agreement, “I was able to get him in a wheelchair to take him topside to for some fresh air.  He grumbled the whole way, and we ended up not staying outside for long.”

“Daniel,” Jack said in a tone of frustration.  “I’ve never known a bigger pain in the ass— but still… I would die for that boy.”

General Landry and Dr. Lam both concurred.

“That’s why you’ve requested a leave of absence from your duties in Washington.  To stay close by, right, Jack?”

Jack nodded and resumed his pacing.

Dr. Lam sat down and pulled a folder out to show the men, “These are the latest x-rays and MRI’s on Dr. Jackson’s legs.  The nerves that run down his legs are crushed and some even severed.  Although I know a doctor that may be able to reattach them… I don’t believe it would help very much.  There really isn’t a great deal of hope for his walking again.  Perhaps with braces he might regain some movement.”

O’Neill dropped his head and leaned it against the wall, waiting for the other shoe to drop, “I sense there’s a but in there you’re not telling us, Doc.”

Shifting a little, she looked over to her father.  He nodded once and settled in his chair.

“Daniel’s healing well in his upper body, but as you know, his mental state is deteriorating and it’s not helping.”

Looking over to Dr. Lam, Jack asked, “Is there anything else we can do?  Any new… I don’t know, experiments or something?”

Carolyn shook her head, “He’s very lucky that his back wasn’t broken.  He would have been paralyzed for sure.  Still, if his mind isn’t in this, there isn’t much more I can do.  Daniel does have a habit of surprising people, however.”

Jack turned and kicked the wall causing Hank and Carolyn jumped.

“Why isn’t he fighting this?” Jack asked the wall.

“Maybe this is just the breaking point for Dr. Jackson, he’s been through so much, and he’s not getting any younger.  Maybe I could give a better you a better prognosis if this happened say… ten years ago.” Dr. Lam paused.  “But there is another option.  I could amputate both legs around the mid thigh and fit him with prosthetics.”

“NO, WAY!” Jack stated flatly.

“General O’Neill,” Hank said as he stood up.  “That would be a decision Dr. Jackson would have to make.  Not you.”

Jack bowed his head in grudging acquiescence, “Let me talk to him about it.  I know how to handle him when he gets pissy.  Plus… he is my best friend.”

Hank nodded, “Why don’t you take all of SG-1 with you, Jack.  You guys are more family than teammates.”

O’Neill nodded and left the office.  Carolyn looked at her father and asked, “Do you think Daniel will agree to amputation?”

Hank sat back down in his chair and rubbed a hand over his face, “I don’t know, Carolyn.  I’m used to dealing with soldiers, not civilians.”

* * *

 

_18 September 2008 — Earth: SGC — 11:30 hours_

 

Jack called Sam, Mitchell, Vala and Teal’c to meet him in Carter’s lab.  As soon as he walked in and closed the door, his former teammates knew something was wrong.

“What’s up, sir?” Sam asked.

Jack walked over to her desk and leaned heavily on it, “This is not a conversation I really want to be having, but… the Nox haven’t been in touch with us going on a week now.  I just came from Landry’s office where Dr. Lam explained what was in store for Daniel.”

He paused, letting his thought gather, “He’s never gonna walk again.  _Maybe_ with leg braces, but she doesn’t hold out too much for that to work.  Or there is another possibility, but it’s far more drastic.”

Sam sat down on her stool and reached for Vala’s hand.  It was quiet for a long time.  Finally, he looked at his friends and sighed.

“Dr. Lam is talking about taking both of Daniel’s legs off, then fitting him with prosthetics.”

“No!” Sam and Vala gasped.

Teal’c cocked his head to one side and asked, “Would he be able to walk again with these prosthetics?”

Jack sighed and nodded, “Yeah… but he would never be able to go through the ‘gate again.  Never be on SG-1.”

Again, there was silence.

“It is his decision, of course, but I thought it would be best if it were us that offered it to him,” Jack told them and they all agreed.

“When do you want to… see him, Jack?” Vala asked, her voice solemn.

“The sooner, the better I figure. Give him some time to think about it and maybe the Nox will come through in the mean time.”

They set off to go see Daniel.  It seemed like the longest walk any of them ever had inside the mountain.  When they reached Daniel’s room, they filed in, grabbed chairs and sat around their friend.  Vala sat next to him on the bed.

“Hey guys,” Daniel barely looked at them.

Sam had to muster all of her military training to get through this conversation.  Teal’c was stoic as always.  Cam just looked around, anywhere but at Jackson.  Jack began to play with some of the tubes that Daniel was hooked up too, and Vala held his hand.

“We have to talk, Daniel,” he said more quietly than any of them had heard before.

Daniel moved to sit up a little more and grimaced in pain.  Once he settled into a comfortable position, he asked them, “What about?”

“Well…” Jack began, “it’s about you, Danny boy.”

“Oh?” Daniel raised his eyebrows a bit.

“Yeah,” Jack said as he got up and started pacing.

Daniel watched him for a moment, then looked at the others.  With a sigh, he closed his eyes, “Just spill it, Jack.”

O’Neill stopped walking and turned to face him.  Vala squeezed Daniel’s hand tightly.  He opened his eyes and focused on Jack.

“Dr. Lam believes that you will never walk again.  Maybe you could with braces, but probably not.”

“Oh, okay… The Nox can’t help?”

“They haven’t gotten back to us yet, Daniel,” Sam told him.

That was it then… his last chance.  He couldn’t stop feeling that his life was just a cosmic joke.  All he amounted to was being a personal punching bag for the pantheon of gods.

His teammates saw a darkness overcome him and it broke their hearts.  Daniel was the soul of SG-1… of the SGC as a whole.  To see him lose his spirit this way, made them all feel a little less alive.

“The Doc has another idea but it’s really drastic,” Mitchell said into the quiet of the room.

“And what would that be?” Daniel murmured to his blankets and not his friends.

Bowing his head and messing with the I.V. stand, Jack sighed, “Double amputation.”

The silence was deafening.  Vala watched as Daniel swallowed hard and closed his eyes.  At first she could see anger flash a crossed his face.  Then the tears in the corner of his eyes.  He scrunched up his face in anguish and sobbed, taking his good hand from Vala to hide behind it.

“No…” he whimpered softly.  “No…”

Vala began to pet his head trying to comfort him.  “Daniel… darling, you don’t have to decide right this minute,” she said, holding onto the last bit of control in her voice.

Another muffled sob was her only answer.  It was quiet again.  No one knew what to say or think.  Daniel gently took Vala’s hand.  Looking at each of his friends in turn, they saw the resolution come over his face.

“Well, this is me we’re talking about, _SNAFU_ comes to mind,” he rubbed a hand over his face, trying to dry the tears.  “I’ll do it.”

“Daniel,” Jack waited for him to look him in the eye, “this is huge.  Why don’t you think about it for a couple of days first?”

Shaking his head, he answered, “No, Jack.  If Dr. Lam believes it would be the best way for me to walk again, then…” he shrugged and paused for a moment to make sure his voice wouldn’t fail him.  “My parents were crushed to death in front of my eyes.  I would give anything in this universe if they could have lived and just lost a couple of limbs.  At least I would’ve had them with me.  Now, I was almost crushed to death, just like them.  But, I’m alive— and I have people around me that care enough to want me to stay that way.  My mind is fine and… I can still be a part of the SGC… Right?”

There was a moment of silence.  That was more words than any of them had heard from him in a long time.

“And you have me.  Daniel, I will stay by your side as long as you let me.  I’m in this for the long haul.”

All the other teammates nodded at Vala’s statement.  She placed her hand on his cheek, wiping his tears with her thumb.  “I am with you no matter if you have legs, arms, can walk or can’t, Daniel, I am yours,” her eyes blazed with such love, Daniel was dumbstruck.

“I’ll let the Doc know of your decision, Daniel.  But I’m going to ask that you wait… for a little while, just to see if we get some word from the Nox.  Even if I have to commandeer a ship and go there again to get it.  Deal?” Jack said.

Daniel looked up into Vala’s face.  She smiled sweetly at him and nodded.

“Alright.  But I’d rather get it over with sooner than later.  Don’t want to think to hard about it.  If we don’t get an answer from them by the end of next week… I want to go through with the amputation.”

Everyone agreed this was the best plan, as far as plans go for cutting someone’s legs off went.

* * *

 

_25 September 2008 — Earth: SGC — 19:10 hours_

 

The week passed in slow motion for some and as fast as lightning for others.  Jack tried to contact the Nox every day, but to no avail.  The last day before Daniel’s scheduled surgery had come and gone without a word.

Dr. Lam began prepping him for the amputation in the morning.  Vala was trying to be supportive, but fatigue and frustration were wearing her down.  Sam took her home for the evening just so Daniel would get the rest he needed.  And she felt Vala needed some time away from the whole situation.  They sat together at Sam’s kitchen table and ate carryout in silence.  Vala was a million miles away.  Sam was also lost in wondering what was going to become of her friend.  She had known plenty of soldiers that had lost limbs in battle.  Most were never the same again afterward.

Daniel _wasn’t_ a soldier, though, so she wasn’t sure how he would be once his legs were gone.  He had gone through radiation poisoning, died multiple times, but this seemed to hit him even harder.  Maybe it was because of the similarities of this accident and his parents’ death.

“Samantha…,” Vala’s voice broke through her thoughts.

“Hmmm?”

“Will Daniel be able to make it through this?  I mean, do you think that he will… you know, be okay?”

Sam was quiet for some time before she answered her friend, “I don’t know, Vala.  He seems so… distant now.  I’ve never seen him like this.  I don’t know if it’s because of the amputation or because the Nox never came through— or maybe it’s just one too many catastrophes for him to handle.”

“Do you think that he feels like he’s letting us down?  Or… maybe he believes _we’ve_ let him down?”

It had never crossed Sam’s mind that he would think they’d let him down.  It just didn’t seem like Daniel.

“No, he would never think that.  It’s just such terrible timing.  I think that he’s just starting to let you touch his heart and he’s angry that it’s happened now.”

“But I don’t _care_ if he has legs or can walk, I just want him,” Vala stated firmly.

Sam scooted over to her and wrapped her arms around her friend, “I know, Vala, I know.  I’m sure deep down he knows too.  You just have to keep encouraging him.  Let him know everything you feel.  Daniel is good at hiding from himself.  Too good, really.  You need to be sincere and honest.  That’s what will get through to him… to his heart.”

Vala smiled back at Sam and took a deep breath, “I’ve always relied solely on myself, believing that everyone had an angle and only thought of themselves.  It was hard not too after everything.  I mean, come on, I’ve been a host to a megalomaniacal parasite, a pirate, and… you’ve met my father.”

Sam had to laugh at the memory of Vala’s Father.  He was definitely a character.

“Actually, Vala, you and Daniel are quite a bit alike if you think about it.  Troubled childhoods, Goa’uld taking the things that were important to you.  Always having to fight for what you believe.”

Vala nodded at each point, “I just don’t know if I’m…  ready for something serious.  I do love him.  More than I actually thought I was capable.  Still… I’d almost rather face a hoard of System Lords then examine my feelings.”

Sam smiled, “I think he would too, Vala.  He’s a person of deep, passionate feelings, but not regarding his own heart.”

“I guess we were really made for each other then, huh?”

“You just have to love him unconditionally.  I guarantee that he will do the same for you.”

The rest of the night passed in worried silence.  Both women absorbed in their own thoughts and emotions.

* * *

 

_26 September 2008 — Earth: SGC — 07:00 hours_

 

The next morning everyone gathered in Daniel’s room.  Words of encouragement softly spoken as he waited for surgery.

Vala sat on his bed and held his hand tightly.  She was trying very hard to be stoic.  After a while, everyone left the two of them alone.

“Hey,” Daniel said quietly to her, “how you doing?”

“I’m fine,” she lied.

“That’s my line.  You don’t have to stay if you don’t want too, Vala.”

“I _do_ want to, darling.  I was thinking about reading more of your story while we wait,” she said as she inclined closer to him.

“Ah, yes.  I’m not sure if we have enough time right now.  Maybe sometime after the surgery, okay?”

“Promise?”

Nodding his head and giving her a small smile, he reached up to tuck her hair behind an ear.  “I guess so… it gets better too,” he teased.

Vala placed her hand on his scarred cheek.  He tilted his head into the caress and sighed.  She bent forward and gently kissed him.  When she started to sit up, Daniel pulled her back down to him.  Their lips touched briefly, then he traced her lower lip with his tongue.  She covered his mouth with hers and tongues danced together intimately.  Vala broke away from him and smiled sadly.

“Please don’t die, Daniel,” she said in a voice he almost couldn’t hear.

“I won’t, Vala.  Carolyn is excellent at what she does and this Dr. Harris guy she’s brought in is one of the best.  They’ll keep me alive.”

Vala touched the scar again with light fingers, “It really does make you look roughish, darling.”

* * *

 

_26 September 2008 — Earth: SGC — 08:00 hours_

 

Dr. Lam had Vala ushered out by Sam to the waiting room.  General O’Neill had come back in to stay with his friend at Daniel’s request. When the nurses left with Dr. Lam, he looked over to Jack.

“I’m scared, Jack,” he whispered.

“I know, Danny.  But it will be okay.  We’re all here for you.  And I know that there isn’t a soul in this mountain that won’t help you out in any way they can.”

Daniel closed his eyes, “I’m going to miss going through the Stargate.  I didn’t think it would hit me so hard.”

“Well… you’ve been doing it for over twelve years.  I miss it too.  And who knows, for you— they may make an exception to the rule.”

Dr. Lam came back in, “It’s time, gentlemen.”

“Jack, please look after Vala for me.”

O’Neill smiled at him, “Sure, Danny.  Just until you recover a little.”

As the orderlies began to push Daniel’s stretcher to the operating room, he looked over to the Doctor.

“Hey, Carolyn.  You think when I get fitted with the new legs I could be taller than Jack?” he smiled.

“I’ll see what I can do, Daniel.”

“Oh, no!” O’Neill chimed in.  “He stays the same height.”

They all had a tight laugh at that, then Daniel’s sedative kicked in and he closed his eyes.  With a deep breath, he surrendered to his future.

* * *

 

_26 September 2008 — Earth: SGC — 09:50 hours_

 

It was going on two hours that Daniel was under the knife.  As the team anxiously awaited, they each attempted to distract themselves.  Sam tinkered with one of her projects.  Cam worked on reports but didn’t seem to be getting much done.  He went to join Teal’c in the gym.  Together they worked on an exercise routine for Daniel.  Vala was curled in a corner of her room thinking of everything that had gone on in her life since meeting Daniel.  And Jack was pacing the briefing room playing with his yo-yo.

He stopped suddenly when he heard the ‘gate start to turn.  A moment later, Walter’s voice blared through the comm.-system.  “Unscheduled off-world activation.”

Jack rushed down the stairs into the control room and stepped up to the window, glancing at the little technician that always seemed to be there.

“What’s going on, Walter?”

“Receiving IDC code now, sir.  It’s the Nox.”

“Outstanding!” Jack replied sarcastically, “What timing!  Open the iris.”

Jack took off down the steps to the ‘gateroom.  As he entered, the Nox emerged from the event horizon.  It was Lya and Nafrayu.  They met O’Neill at the bottom of the ramp.

“Nice of you guys to drop by,” Jack said in his most annoyed voice.  “A little late…”

Lya inclined her head to him, nonplused.

“We are sorry for our delay.  The beings we communicated with on your behalf do not understand time the way you do.”

Jack just smirked, “Yeah, well, it is a little late now.  Daniel is in surgery too—”

“Remove his legs,” Lya finished for him.

Eyebrows drew together, Jack gave her a suspicious look, “And how _exactly_ do you know that?”

“We were told by the Tuatha Dé Danann that Daniel had to be at his darkest before he could actually be healed.  He needed to surrender completely to his fate,” Nafrayu said.

“The Tuatha were amenable to our request.  They said they have known of Daniel for a long time,” Lya said as they walked to the briefing room.

Jack was still infuriated as they all sat down at the table.  “So how do these… _Tooth De Danny_ guys know about Daniel?” he looked at them accusingly.

“They know a great deal about Daniel Jackson, they even knew of his ascension.  The Alterans keep in contact with the Tuatha.  Even though they are a secretive race, they do keep track of others that are rapidly advancing in their maturity. They could have been a part of the Four Races, but declined.  They truly do not like venturing beyond their own realm,” Lya told him.

Just then, General Landry and the rest of SG-1 minus Vala came in and sat down.  The look on Jack’s face indicated that the news wasn’t all that good.

“I haven’t met you before,” Hank said to the Nox, “I’m General Landry.”

Both Nafrayu and Lya nodded at him in greeting.

“So, what’s the report about assistance for Dr. Jackson?” he asked them coolly.

Nafrayu eyed him for a moment then said, “The Tuatha Dé Danann are willing to meet with Daniel, but they have some… stipulations about how.”

With barely restrained anger, he asked, “Like… he had to have his legs cut off first?”

“In part, yes,” Lya replied.

“This is ridiculous!” exclaimed Jack as he slammed his fist down on the table.  Both of the Nox jumped slightly and Teal’c put a calming hand on O’Neill’s shoulder.

“Let them speak, O’Neill.”

Jack shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, “Okay, okay.  So what else do they want?”

“Daniel has to see them alone.  No one from this realm may come with him,” Lya reported.  “And he may not reveal anything he sees or hears while there unless they give him permission.”

Jack stood up and leaned onto the table, “No way in HELL is Daniel going anywhere without at least one of us with him.”

“Nafrayu will be allowed to accompany him to the Tuatha’s home.  But he is the only one,” Lya told them in a firm voice.

“Hank, I don’t like this one bit.  Daniel gets himself in enough trouble when we _are_ with him, but to have him go somewhere that none of us has been… to meet with questionable people… I’m sorry, that just doesn’t fly with me.”

“Sir, wouldn’t that be up to Daniel?” Sam asked softly.

“Come on, Carter!  You know how he is.  If he gets wind of this _new race_ he’s gonna want to be all over it!  And then… as par for Dr. Daniel Jackson, he’ll get into trouble and none of us will be there to get him outta it!”

“If the Nox trust these Tuatha, then perhaps we should also,” Teal’c added.

Jack could see that he was not going to get the support he thought he would from his former team.  Shaking his head, he sat back down with a huff.

“Okay, suppose he goes for it.  When will he leave?  And why did he have to get his legs cut off first?”

“One must be broken, before he can be fixed,” Lya said.

Jack snorted and rolled his eyes. He really hated philosophical mumbo-jumbo.

“If Daniel decides to undertake this journey, I will return in five weeks.  That is when the Tuatha have said they would receive us.  Will that give him enough time to sufficiently recover from the surgery?” Nafrayu asked them.

Grudgingly, Jack answered, “Probably.”

“Then it is done.  If we receive no further communication from you, we shall return in 37 days.  Peace to you all.”

The little forest people stood and Teal’c escorted them back to the ‘gate.  The rest of them went their separate ways, only to meet outside the O.R.  Shortly after, Dr. Lam came out.

“He’s in post-op now.  Everything went well,” she said tiredly.

Sam stood up, “I should go and tell Vala.”

“When can we see him, Doc?” Jack asked.

“In an hour or two, General.  I’ll call you when he wakes up.”


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

_26 September 2008 — Earth: SGC — 14:40 hours_

  
Shortly after Daniel woke up, all the members SG-1 came to visit him.  It was awkward to say the least.  No one was sure what to say and they all took great pains not to look where his legs should have been.  He wasn’t very talkative either. 

After a short time, everyone except Vala left.  She sat on his bed and held his hand, trying to comfort him.  He wouldn’t look her in the eye.  Now that his legs were gone, he was not taking it as well as he thought he would.

“Vala…” Daniel murmured softly, “I’m getting kinda tired now.”

She shifted her position next to him and put her hand gently on his cheek.

“It’s okay, dearest. Go to sleep.  I’ll keep an eye on you.”

He gave her a small smile and then closed his eyes.  Vala watched over him, stroking his hair, as he fell asleep.  She caressed his cheek when her tears began to escape.  How was she going to reassure him of how she felt?  Would he think her commitment was pity and not love?

Sam told her to be honest with her feelings towards him.  That was something she had a very hard time doing.  Always hiding behind a tough girl persona, and never letting anyone in to see the real Vala Mal Doran.  But this was different.  _He_ was different.  He put up with her and never let her down when she needed him.  Vala wasn’t use to that.

As she watched him sleep, she could tell he was dreaming.  It looked like he was starting to have a nightmare.  She took his hand in hers again and gently rubbed her thumb on the back of it.

“Shhh, love.  Everything will be all right.  I’m here for you, Daniel.  I’ll never leave you.”

Her words began to choke up on her.  She had told a lot of men the same thing and never meant them.  The weight of that statement overwhelmed her.  She would _never_ leave him.  She just couldn’t see living without Daniel in her life.  Even broken and battered as he was now, deep down she knew he was the one she never thought existed.  The one that captured her heart.

A few hours later, Daniel woke up in pain.  Vala pushed the morphine drip button to help it ease.  Once it hit his system, he seemed to relax a bit.  He looked up at her and smiled.

“Have you been here the whole time?”

She grinned at him, “Well… I did have one bathroom break, but yes, I have been.”

He gazed at her face realizing just how much she meant to him.  She had taken him by surprise that first meeting on board the Prometheus… literally.  And when she showed up at the SGC, he made sure his emotional walls were up.  But something about her made his heart skip a few beats every time she was near.  And now he didn’t think he could maintain his emotional isolation much longer.

There was a comfortable silence as both of them considered their feelings.  Vala kept a tight hold of his hand and he felt the warmth and love coming off her in waves.

“Vala, you don’t have to stay here.  I’m not exactly going anywhere.  Don’t you have something else to do?  Like shopping with my credit cards or… something?” he asked with a grin.

“No, Daniel.  No shopping today.  I would rather stay right here with you.”

He nodded his head and squeezed her hand.  “Thanks.”

“For what?”

“For being here… with me.  It really means a lot that you would just… hang out in here and be bored.”

Vala leaned down and lightly kissed him.  As soon as their lips touched, it was like an electric shock coursing through them.  Daniel kept her from moving away and kissed her again.  Her lips parted and he eagerly delved inside.  Their kiss was filled with need and reassurance.  His hand tangled in her long hair as he kept her close.  He never wanted it to stop.  Vala put her hand on his chest and began to rub.  The sensations were overwhelming.  He tried to pull her closer when his ribs rebelled.

“Oh, for crying out loud!  Get a room!!”

O’Neill’s familiar, sarcastic voice came from the door.  Vala jumped back and tried to fix her hair.  Daniel just closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

“Jack.  This _IS_ a room.”

“Daniel.  I know that.  I see you’re in good hands here.”

“Why, yes… yes, I am,” Daniel smiled up at Vala, holding her hand close to his heart and not letting her go too far away from him.

“How are you feeling?”

“Under the circumstance, all right, I guess,” Daniel answered.  “Did the Nox ever get back with you?”

Jack pulled over a chair and sat down.  He ran his hand through his short salt and peppered hair, letting out a sigh.

“Yeah… about that…”

Daniel asked Vala to help him sit up a little so he could see better.  She handed him his glasses and then sat down on a stool next to his bed.

“Well?  What’d they say?”

Jack cleared his throat and shuffled his feet a little.  “Lya made contact with that race they were talking about, but they seem to have some pretty steep rules about who can visit them.  To tell you the truth, Daniel, I don’t like it one bit, but it’s your decision.”

“Who are they?” Daniel asked him curiously.

“They’re called the… Tooth De Danny or something weird like that.”

Daniel could not stop his snort of laughter, “I think you mean, _Tuatha Dé Danann_ , Jack.”

“Yeah, them.”

Daniel inched up even further, immediately interested in what Jack was saying.  “They’re Celtic; a part of the mythology of both Ireland and Scotland.  You know, my ancestors… and yours.  What else did the Nox say?” asked Daniel increasingly excited with the news.

Jack raised his scarred eyebrow at him, then said, “Not much.  We don’t have a gate address and… you are the only one that can go.  Well… you and Nafrayu, but not any of us.  Along with that, their rules are that you can’t tell us anything about them.”

Daniel’s eyes actually were coming alive as he began to mentally retrieve information about the Tuatha.  Vala smiled at him, he looked more like himself than he had in weeks.

Jack just eyed him suspiciously.  “You know about these guys?”

“Yeah… some.  I’ll have to get my reference books from my office, but sure, I know about them.  They live in a land called _Tir Na n’Óg – the Land of Youth_.  But… but their homeland was supposed to be on the western side of Ireland, not another planet.”

O’Neill scooted closer to his friend, head down as if preparing for battle.  “Um… Daniel… I’ve got a real hinky feeling about these _tooth_ guys.  I know you want to believe they can help, but I wish you’d really think about it…”

Daniel’s forehead scrunched up, wondering where he was going with this.  Then it dawned on him.  “You don’t want me to go because you can’t come with… right?”

There was a definite edge in his voice and steel in his gaze.

“I know how you are, Daniel.  I just don’t want to see you jumping into somethi—”

“ **LOOK!** Jack…” Daniel interrupted him, “in case you haven’t noticed…” he flipped his blanket off to reveal his stumps, “I _can’t_ jump anymore!”

“Daniel,” Jack shook his head as he stood and pulled the blanket back over him, “I’m sorry.  That was a stupid thing to say.  You know I’m not any good at this.  It’s just… well… I just want you to really consider that you’re gonna be alone there… before you decide.”

Daniel turned his head and saw Vala still looking at where his legs use to be, tears beginning to streaming down her face.  The doubt overwhelmed him.  How could she want him now?  He was literally half a man.  A man that just had his whole life as a member of SG-1 cut away at mid thigh.  Emotions already stretched thin, he snapped.

“Jack… just leave,” he said in a low, threatening voice.

“Daniel…”

“GET OUT! BOTH OF YOU!  Just leave me **alone!** ”

Jack walked over and put his arm around Vala, who was standing dumbfounded.

“Come on, Vala. Best to let him cool down a bit.”

He steered her out of the room, pausing at the door.  “No one is giving up on you, Daniel.  And no one is feeling sorry for you either.  Just remember one thing… you _are_ alive.”

When they left, Daniel broke down.  Rage and grief flowed through him and he just didn’t know how to let it out.  Thinking about the look on Vala’s face when she saw his lack of legs, the emotions he has always been able to control, came to a boil and he finally blew up.  Throwing his glasses across the room, he howled out his anger as he continued to throw anything and everything within reach.  When there wasn’t anything else he could throw, he started pulling his I.V. lines out and pushing the machines over.  Their alarms began to blare and Dr. Lam rushed in.

“Dr. Jackson!” she yelled as the nurses tried to stop him from hurting himself more.

“GET OUT!!” Daniel screamed as he tried to push them away.  “LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!”

“ **No** , Daniel, I **won’t!** ”

“Why didn’t you just let me _die_?  Why didn’t all of you just leave me in that fucking cave to rot?  Death would’ve been better than this.”

Finally, Dr. Lam slapped him none too gently which got his attention.  Eyes wide in shock, Daniel stopped fighting them.  He flopped back down on his pillow, and covered his face letting out a sob.  The physician placed a gentle hand on his head.

“Easy, Daniel.  Everything will be alright…”

“No… no… it won’t.  It never will be again,” he whimpered.

The doctor had her nurses reattach all the tubes and give him a sedative to help him calm down.

“Daniel, we are going to do everything we know how for you.”

“You can’t do anything more, Carolyn.  And Jack apparently doesn’t want me to have the Nox’s or the Tuatha’s help either.  He just wants to cut his losses and send me away so I don’t make any more trouble for him or the SGC.”

Dr. Lam sat back and stared at the archeologist.  “I haven’t known you for long, but this reaction doesn’t seem like you, Dr. Jackson.  I _thought_ you were a survivor.  I _thought_ you were smarter than this.  General O’Neill is just concerned about the stipulations the Tuatha have.  It’s a race we’ve never encountered and we don’t know anything about them.  We don’t even know where they are.  And all we have is the Nox for any reassurances.”

Daniel dried his eyes, took a breath to settle down.  Crossing his good arm over his chest in his usual self-hug, he looked at the woman beside him, embarrassed, and mumbled, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not me you should apologize to, Daniel.  You’ve upset the one person that hasn’t left your side since the cave-in.”

Devastation raced across his face as he realized that he _did_ just scream at Vala.  Now he felt even worse.  Dr. Lam stood up to leave when he reached out and stopped her.

“Carolyn, could you ask Vala to come back?  Please?”

Patting his arm, she nodded her head with a small smile.  “Sure.  No more temper-tantrums.  And leave your I.V.’s alone.”

After the doctor had left the room, a nurse walked over to Daniel and showed him his broken glasses.  Rolling his eyes at her, he muttered, “I have another pair in my office.  I’ll have Vala get them for me.  Thanks.”

She nodded and left without a word, tossing the useless glasses in the trash.

* * *

 

_26 September 2008 — 17:45 hours_

 

Sam, Teal’c, Mitchell, and Jack were standing in Carter’s lab again, which had become the unofficial meeting place for SG-1.  Normally it would have been Daniel’s office, but none of them felt right being in there without him.

“I don’t get it.  The guy is just asking for trouble and we won’t be there to bail-out his ass.”

“Perhaps, O’Neill,” Teal’c said softly, “you should consider the fact that DanielJackson is a formidable warrior.”

“He’s right, sir,” Carter chimed in.  “You can’t keep treating him like the inexperienced geek you first met.  With or without legs, Daniel can take care of himself.”

“And he’s better trained, thanks to you and Teal’c.  Better even than most of the jarheads on the base,” added Cam.

“Yeah… I know.”  Jack closed his eyes.  “I’m just concerned about him.  He looks so… helpless right now.  When I close my eyes all see is… when he was…” he couldn’t finish his thought.

“When he was dying,” Carter completed his sentence.  “I don’t want him to have to live without his legs, but it is _his_ choice.  We have to trust him.  And I know Nafrayu won’t let anything happen to him while they are with the Tuatha.  You know how the Nox are.”

“True,” Jack relented, “I guess we should get Daniel’s books down to him and start a study session.”

They all nodded their agreement and headed one level up to the archeology floor.  Not sure what books they would need to find out about the Tuatha Dé Danann, Jack piled each of them with whatever looked like it could help.  Daniel’s bookshelves looked considerably more empty when they left.

* * *

 

_26 September 2008 — 17:55 hours_

 

Vala stood just outside the door to Daniel’s room.  Still upset by his outburst, she was reluctant to enter.  She knew it wasn’t aimed at her, but it hurt just the same.  Taking a deep breath, she plucked up her formidable courage and walked in the room.

He was staring off into space with an expression of defeat.  She hated seeing him looking so lost.  It reminded her of a small boy she had seen through her eyes, but could not help.  Vala _could_ help Daniel though.  With that comforting thought, she went over to him.

“Hi.”

Daniel slowly focused his eyes on his visitor.  “Hey,” he answered.

“You looked a million miles away.”

“Yeah, I guess I was.”

He held out his hand to her and she willingly took it.  They studied each other for a moment, lost in their personal turmoil.

Daniel cleared his throat and squeezed her hand, “I’m sorry I yelled at you, Vala.”

She waved the past away and reached out, lightly running the back of her hand down the scar his cheek.

“I know, darling.  It wasn’t the first time.  I have that effect on people.”

They were silent for a short time, just taking comfort in each other.  Vala sat down on his bed, making herself at home.

“Where were you when I came in?” she asked.

He gave her a sad smile, “I was just thinking about when I was little.”

“Oh?” Vala said with curiosity in her voice.  “Will you tell me about it?”

Daniel was quiet for a few moments then sighed.  Nodding his head, he said, “Sure.  It was when I was…”

Vala sat attentively while continuing to hold his hand.  She knew that she was being given a rare glimpse of Daniel’s life.  Something that even Sam wouldn’t know.

“Oh… I don’t know, around six years old I think.  Some of my friends in Egypt were teaching me how to climb a palm tree.  I went up very high and then realized… I couldn’t get down.

“My best friend, Chike, tried to tell me how.  He kept saying, _Moswen, just back down… go slow_.  I tried, but I ended up slipping when I was half way down and fell.  All of the other kids took off, scared that they would get into trouble.  Chike stayed with me though.  One of the workers saw what happened and got my parents.

“Anyway, long story short, I broke my leg in two places and had a cast from my toes all the way up to my thigh.  One doctor thought that I would walk with a limp for the rest of my life, but… I proved him wrong.”  He was quiet for a moment, then gave a sad chuckle, “And now this.”

Vala smiled down at him, “It will work out, Daniel.  Just like it did back then.”

Making a face at her, he mumbled, “Yeah… maybe.”

Vala cocked her head to one side and asked, “What is _Moswen?_ ”

“Oh, that’s what all the Egyptian kids called me.  It means _Light Skin_ ,” Daniel told her.

“Hmmm… I like that name for you.” Vala smiled, “Maybe I’ll call you that.”

Daniel laughed, “Sure.  Just don’t tell anyone what it means, especially Jack.  It’ll drive him nuts.”

They both laughed.  Falling silent again, Daniel reached out and ran his fingers through her hair.  She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.

“Daniel,” she said softly, “don’t be mad at Jack.  He’s just worried about you and he doesn’t like the idea of you going somewhere without backup.”

“I know, but the Nox wouldn’t send me anywhere they didn’t think was safe.”

“The truth is, I don’t like the idea of you going by yourself either, Daniel.  That little guy said he will be with you, but I would be more comfortable if one of us was too.”

“Well, if these Tuatha are anything like the ones of Irish folklore, I understand why they don’t want more than a couple of outsiders there.”

“Are they afraid of other races?”

Daniel shook his head, “No.  Not really.  They’re just very… guarded.”

“That’s an understatement,” Jack said as he strolled into the room.

Daniel and Vala turned to see O’Neill and hot on his heels the rest of the gang.  They all had arms full of books.  Sam grinned as she gently dropped Daniel’s laptop onto his bed.

Jackson gave them a confused look and asked, “What are you guys doing?”

Vala pulled one of the heavy books from the top of a stack that Mitchell had and frowned at its weight, “Looks like a study group, Moswen.”

Jack looked at them confused and asked, “What the hell is a _Myosin?_ ”

Vala grinned at him and snarked, “A _myosin_ is a muscle protein, but I said _MOSWEN_ , and I’m not tellin’ what that means.  It’s between him and me.”

Daniel smiled at her and the bewildered expression on the rest of the team’s faces.

O’Neill rolled his eyes at them, “Great!  They’re going by pet names now.  How nauseating!”

* * *

 

_14 October 2008 — 23:15 hours_

 

A week and a half later, Daniel was back in his quarters on the base and thankfully off all of the machines.  He kept busy with research, which significantly improved his mood.

After two weeks of studying the Tuatha, they really didn’t know much more about them and nothing about their planet.  All of the stories just indicated that they were in Ireland; however, that didn’t make sense.  And how were the Nox communicating with them if they were still in Ireland?

Late in evening, after hours of study, everyone felt brain dead.  Jack slammed his book closed making everyone jump.

“I can’t focus anymore. It’s time to call it quits for tonight.  It was easier when I thought the Irish were just drunken old geezers.”

The two women agreed and Daniel didn’t argue due to the fact he fell asleep an hour before.  Jack rounded all of them up to leave and said good night to Vala.  After the door had closed, she turned to see Daniel staring at her.  With a smile and the dark haired woman sauntered over to his side.

“Hey, beautiful,” he whispered with a smile.

“How are you feeling, Moswen?”

He grinned at her and reached out for her hand.  “You don’t have to stay here you know.  Your quarters are just across the hall.”

“Yes, but I want to.  I like staying here with you,” she told him in her most sultry voice.

He closed his eyes, a smirk on his face.  The next thing he knew, he felt her warm, moist lips on his.  Slowly he opened them and let her tongue slide inside.  Daniel reached up and ran his fingers through her hair, keeping her close and deepening the kiss.  His blood coursed, heated through his veins.  Soon, his mind seemed to switch off completely.  She broke the kiss and rested her forehead on his.

“Vala,” he said in a gravelly voice, “I think… that I’m… in lo—”

“Me too, darling.”

She kissed his eyes, nose, chin, with such feathery kisses, he groaned and pulled her closer.  Vala ran her hand down his chest and up inside his hospital shirt.  She moved her kisses down his jaw line and began to suck on his neck.  Daniel moaned his pleasure as he pulled her blouse free from her pants.  Sliding his hand up her smooth, warm skin, he felt a shiver course down her spine.

Daniel chuckled softly, “Are you cold?”

“Yes… a little.”

He smiled at her and pulled back his covers, indicating for her to climb in next to him.  She watched as he scooted as far as he could to one side of the bed.  Vala’s heart did a flip in her chest.  Kicking off her shoes, she climbed in and snuggled in close as he pulled the blankets over her.  She pillowed her head on his shoulder and rested her hand on his chest.

Daniel nuzzled his face in her hair and inhaled deeply.  He felt whole; holding her close, like nothing was amiss in his life.  She made him tingle all over… even in his missing legs.

“Will you read me the rest of the story?” she asked quietly.

The low rumble coming from his chest told her he was laughing.

“Sure.  You have to get the journal out of my bag over there.”

Vala excitedly retrieved the book and cuddled back beside him.  He awkwardly leafed through the pages, cursing his broken arm.  He could not remember where she had stopped.

“Hmmm… where’d we leave it?”

“Right here,” she pointed as she helped him hold the book open, “where the mystery woman was unbuttoning your shirt and deeply kissing you.  Now continue… or I’m leaving.”

“Okay, okay.  Sheesh,” Daniel mumbled.  He shifted his arm to hold her closer and began to read.

> _I was mesmerized by her touch and couldn’t think straight to save my life.  But then I figured, hey, carpe occasio._

Vala looked up at him, “What’s carpe occasio?”

“Loosely translated, it means _seize the opportunity_ , in Latin.  Shall I continue?” he asked, then felt a nod.

> _As she unbuttoned my shirt, her hands ran down my chest so softly, it gave me goosebumps.  I had to have her closer._
> 
> _Soon my jacket dropped to the floor and she was lifting the tee-shirt over my head but didn’t pull it all the way off.  My arms were trapped above my head as she kissed down my chest.  The next thing I felt was her mouth gently nibbling on my nipple._

Vala began to rub Daniel’s chest as she listened, paying close attention to his nipples.  He moaned as her soft fingers toyed with the sensitive area.

“Vala…,” he whispered, “you keep that up, and I won’t be able to read.”

“Oh… sorry,” she purred.  “Go ahead.”

> _I was truly enjoying what was happening even though I thought I was dreaming for sure._

“Are you going to tell me who it is yet?”

“No.  Not yet.  Now shush,” he smiled at her whine, then continued.

> _The teasing was driving me mad.  I couldn’t help but whimper at the wonderful sensations.  She let her hand roam down to my belt and began to undo it._
> 
> _I shifted in my seat, trying to adjust um… my shaft, as it throbbed in need.  Then this beautiful woman slid her hand into my pants and wrapped her long, gentle fingers around my…_

As Daniel was reading it, Vala was following his words with her hand.  She slipped a hand inside his sweatpants and began to slowly rub his hardening member.  She smiled when he stopped reading to groan.  Encouraged when he didn’t try to stop her, she stroked harder, making him moan in pleasure, as the book dropped to the floor.

“Vala… oh, god!”

She was enjoying making him forget everything that had happened to him the last several weeks.

In a low, sexy voice, she whispered, “Let me make you feel good.”

He nodded his head and moaned again.  Typically he _would_ make her stop, but this time, he just closed his eyes and fell into the moment.  And she was good.  She smelled good.  She felt good.  And goddamn, she knew exactly how to make him lose his mind.  Vala snuggled closer as she rubbed progressively harder.  He was close to exploding in pleasure.

“Daniel,” Vala whispered as she continued to pull on his dick, “who’s the woman in your story?”

Just as completion sent him flying over the edge, he pulled her closer.  “Vala!” he cried out, panting for breath.  “Oh, god, Vala… it’s you, you’re the woman in my story.”

She looked up into his eyes, searching for the truth.  He ran his hand through her hair pulling her down to devour her lips.  He wanted her to know just how _she_ made him feel.  The way she consumed his nightly dreams and distracted his work during the day.  He tried to put all of his love for her into that kiss.  Vala pulled away, breathless.  She placed her hand on his cheek and smiled.

“Wow!  You haven’t kissed me like that since the Prometheus.”

He smirked at her. “The story is a dream I’ve been having for some time now.”

“You dream of me?  Daniel… why haven’t you ever told me?”

Daniel shrugged he shoulders and muttered, “I… I really don’t know.  Afraid, I guess.”

Vala got up to get a moist towel.  She returned and began to clean him up from her ministrations.

“Afraid of what, Moswen?”

Daniel stayed quiet for some time, just watching her as she wiped the warm towel over his stomach.  When she finished, he took her hand in his.

“That you’re just playin’ around.  Afraid you’ll break my heart.  I don’t think I could handle another broken heart,” he whispered, tracing Vala’s jaw line with his finger.  “Will you?  Break my heart?”

“I’ll never do that, my Daniel.  I would die before I’d hurt you.”

His gaze dropped when she said that.  With a voice so soft, she almost couldn’t hear him, “I’m afraid of that happening, too.”

“I’m sorry, Daniel.  I didn’t mean…”

“I know, Vala.  And I understand that the job we have… or rather, you have, is dangerous.”

Seeing the tear slide down the side of his face, Vala leaned in and kissed him softly.

“I’m not going out with SG-1 any longer, Daniel.  I’m staying right here with you… with whatever you decide to do.  I… Love… You!”

Vala looked at him with nothing but honest to god love on her face.

“You better not be messin’ with me.”  Daniel beamed up at her, “I love you, too.”


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

_24 October 2008 — Earth: SGC — 21:25 hours_

  
Daniel was healing well from his surgery and gaining strength much faster than Dr. Lam had expected.  Teal’c was working with him to build up his upper body muscles.  Cam took to hanging out with him, giving support with talking about how his father coped with losing a leg.  Daniel appreciated his effort, but didn’t really want to ‘cope’ at all.  He wanted his legs back.  After a few days of physical therapy he began to think that this was the stupidest decision he’d ever made.

With Daniel starting to do better, Vala was getting back to her normal annoying self.  Flirting with the guys on base, and teasing Daniel as he worked out.  He knew she was trying jolt him out of his funk, but it was just casting doubt on what her true feelings for him were.

“Vala,” Daniel quietly said late one night, “Do you… do you really love me?”

She was surprised by the question.  Putting her book down, she gazed at him.  Seeing the hurt etched on his scarred face, she realized how it must have looked to him.  Change was always hard for her to deal with.  And with him out of danger, she was feeling more like herself.

“Oh, Moswen, I’m sorry,” she said and snuggled up to him.  “Yes, I do really love you.  I’m just playing.  You know how I am.  It’s just— me.  Can you accept that?  Accept me?”

Daniel bowed his head for a moment.  She was getting worried until she caught his grin.  Looking up into her eyes, he pulled her down into a soft kiss.

“I accept and love you, Vala,” he said, resting his forehead to hers.  “Guess I just need reassuring from time to time.  I know you do what you do as a defense, I have my own too.  I hide in my books and don’t let my feelings out that often.  I suppose we will just have to figure this whole relationship thing out together.”

Vala smiled and kissed him again.  They laid quietly, wrapped around each other, getting use to the idea of being in love.

* * *

 

_31 October 2008 — Earth: SGC — 14:25 hours_

 

It was nearing the five-week mark in which the Nox told O’Neill they would be back.  The original members of SG-1 and the two new ones became very well versed in Celtic mythology.  Not a day went by that they weren’t studying and researching the fairy folk.  Jack was nonetheless against Daniel visiting the Tuatha and was quite vocal about it.

On the afternoon of the day the Nox were to come back, as Mitchell, Sam, Vala and Jack sat reading in Daniel’s room, the tension between O’Neill and the archeologist was palpable.

“Hey, Jackson,” Cam looked up from his reading, “how do you pronounce S-I-D-H-E?”

“Shee.  It’s another word for fairy,” he replied without looking up from his book.

“Damn, I wish these guys spoke real English,” the other man retorted.

Looking over the top of his glasses at the other man, he said, “It’s Gaelic, Cam.  An ancient language that’s almost disappeared.”

“Should’ve let it,” Jack grumbled to himself.

“That coming from an Irishman?” Daniel snarked.  “I hope your grandmother doesn’t turn over in her grave hearing you say that.”

“The Irish are nuts.  Even my Da says so.  Why do you think I’m the way I am, huh?  Or you for that matter!  I mean, come on— changelings, forest gods, and look at this, Nuada’s sword of Illumination?  It’s all just… rumors, lies and fairytales, Danny.”

Daniel rolled his eyes,  “I would think that with everything we’ve seen and done you would be more open to mythology, Jack.  Haven’t you learned anything?”

“ **Hey** ,” Cam said loudly to defuse the coming argument, “isn’t there a Celtic holiday of some sort today?  Ah… Sam-hain or somethin’ like that?”

Smiling, the scholar nodded, “Yeah… but you pronounce it **_sah_** _-win_ … Samhain is very important in Irish mythology.  Excellent, Cam.  At least _someone_ is learning.”

“Whatever!” O’Neill groused.  “I’m getting some coffee.  Anyone else?”

Four hands shot up in the air.  “Be right back, kids.”

“Daniel,” Sam piped up for the first time in awhile, “isn’t it said that mortal man should stay away from the fairy folk?  That they were malevolent and tricksters?”

Jackson peered over his glasses at Vala, worried.  “Um… well, yeah… some of them.  But the Tuatha are considered the fair immortals.”

Seeing his three teammates with blank expressions he elaborated, “Think Galadriel.”  Still no comprehension registered.  “Um… Elrond?  No, huh… Ah! Legolas.”

Finally, both of the women nodded with rapturous expressions and way too puerile giggles.  Looking at the other man and shaking his head, Cam mouthed the word— _Girls_.

Daniel laughed and then continued,  “The daughter of the king of Tir Na n’Óg describes her home as this:

 

_Delightful is the land beyond all dreams,_

_Fairer than anything your eyes have ever seen._

_There all the year the fruit is on the tree,_

_And all the year the bloom is on the flower._

_There with wild honey drip the forest trees;_

_The stores of wine and mead shall never fail._

_Nor pain nor sickness knows the dweller there,_

_Death and decay come near him Never more.” **[1]**_

 

Jack stopped at the door taking in the scene.  Daniel’s face had a dreamy look as he recited the poem, but Vala watched Daniel with worried eyes.  She did not look happy.

“And we’ll all sing Kum-ba-Yah around the eternal campfire,” Jack said as he walked towards the table with a carafe of coffee and some cups.

“Funny, Jack.”

“Danny… can’t you see how this whole trip to fairyland is upsetting your girlfriend here?  For cryin’ out loud, you should see the look on your face… all dreamy and such…”

“ _Soooo_ … what is Samhain anyway?” Cam came to the rescue again.

Jackson and O’Neill glared at each other for a moment longer.  With a disgusted shake of his head Daniel turned away from the older man.

“Um…,” he said trying to get his brain back on track, “Samhain means _summer’s end_.  It was the principal festival of the ancient Celts and probably the oldest.  Samhain was and is a celebration of harvest, the closing of the year and the beginning of the New Year.  It’s also when the livestock were brought down from the summer pastures to be slaughtered for the winter.  The Celts would light bonfires to invoke protection and cleansing of the animals and families.  And when the veil between the human world and the Otherworld is at its thinnest.”

“And it’s on Halloween, Daniel?” Sam asked genuinely interested.

“All Hallows Eve, yes.  The night when October becomes November.”

“Who knew?” Jack snarked.

“Obviously not you, Irishman.”

“Children!  Do I have to separate you two?” Vala said hotly.

“Yeah, yeah,” Jack surrendered waving a hand at all of them.

“Hey, Daniel,” Sam said holding a book out to the archeologist, “check this out.  _The Cauldron of Rebirth_.”

Daniel took the book and read aloud, “Many stories revolve around the Cauldron of Rebirth, or Dagda’s Cauldron.  In innumerable mythological stories, the Cauldron is used to resurrect warriors slain on the battlefield.

“In a Welsh myth the tale tells of the Cauldron of Bran, where slain fighters are placed.  Overnight they would emerge unharmed and whole… save for the loss of their power of speech…” his voice faded and he glanced up at Vala.

“Will that happen to you, Daniel?” she asked.

“Well, many fairytales say that if a Sidhe offers you a gift, there is quite often a price that is expected and to a certain extent, drastic… but…,” Daniel saw Vala’s look of fearful concern and realized his mistake.  He gave her a smile, “Nah.  It’s just a myth.”

“Exactly!  That’s what I’ve been telling you for _12 years!_ ” Jack shouted.

“Here we go again,” Cam sighed.

“For the last time, Jack, give it a rest!”

“Fine,” O’Neill steamed as he slammed his book closed, “but I’m not comin’ after you when you get into trouble.  And I WILL tell you _I told you so_ when you come back without your voice! Although— you without a voice is my fondest dream.”

The two men glared at each other for what seemed like forever.  Finally, Sam and Vala got in between them.

“All right now, boys,” Vala said forcefully, “let’s play nice.”

Both of them huffed at her and turned away.  Sam and Mitchell followed Jack into the hallway.  Vala sat down by Daniel.  He was still growling under his breath when she reached for his hand.

“What’s wrong, Moswen?”

He distractedly flips some pages of the tome he was reading.  Vala ran her hand down his cheek and pulled at his month growth of beard to look at her.  With a sigh, he turned sad eyes up and shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s just… he never has any faith in me, Vala.  Like I’m his problem child.”

“Welllllllllll…”

“Don’t!” he cut her off with just the slightest hint of a smile, “just don’t go there… alright?”

Vala leaned down and kissed him lightly, she purred, “All right, Moswen.”

Brushing her hand over his bearded face, her smile began to fade.  Daniel took hold of it and pressed a kiss into her palm.

“You don’t want me to go either, do you?”

She glanced away quickly.  Turning back to him, she had her _cold as ice mask_ on.  But he wasn’t buying it.

“Hey,” Daniel whispered, “don’t hide from me.  I need you to tell me how you feel, Vala.  Please.”

Just as she was about to say something, the klaxons blared through the base.

“Unscheduled off world activation,” Walter’s voice rang out.  “General O’Neill to the ‘gate room.”

Jack stuck his head back into the room, “That may be the Nox.  I’ll let you know if it’s them.”

With a nod of the head, Daniel watched him leave with Sam and Cameron hard on his six.

* * *

 

_31 October 2008 — 16:55 hours_

 

As O’Neill entered the control room, General Landry was already ordering the iris open.  He turned to Jack with a concerned look.

“The Nox are here, Jack.”

The younger general gave him a curt nod and headed down with Sam on his six, meeting Lya and Nafrayu at the foot of the ramp.

“Greetings, O’Neill,” Lya bowed her head as he stepped up to her.

“Before we go and see Daniel, I want it to be entirely clear… I _do not_ like this plan.  I don’t like the idea of Daniel going without a member of SG-1 accompanying him.”

Both Lya and Nafrayu inclined their heads in understanding.  Jack glared at them for a moment longer, then turned to lead them to Daniel’s room.

On the way, Sam asked Lya, “Do you trust these people?”

Lya gave her a little smile, “I believe that they will treat Daniel well.”

“But do you _trust_ them?”

The silence that followed did little to appease their concerns.  Jack’s back visibly tightened and Sam winced.

The four of them turned into Daniel’s room.  Vala was sitting at the table, flipping through a book, as Daniel read the computer screen of his laptop.  Both of them looked up as the others came in.  Daniel smiled when he saw the two Nox following Jack.  He shut off his computer and wheeled over to greet them.

“Lya, Nafrayu, welcome back,” he said with barely restrained excitement.

“Daniel,” Lya kneeled down next to him, “How are you fairing?”

Daniel ducked his head and let out a long sigh, “I’m fine… I guess.”

“Are you ready to travel?”

Vala jumped up quickly, “Now?!” she nearly shouted.  “You’re taking him now?”

At the same time, Jack stepped over in between Nafrayu and Daniel.

“Whoa there!  Not so fast.”

“Jaaack!  It’s my decision, damn it!  I know how to take care of myself.”

O’Neill snorted at that, looking Daniel straight in the eye, “Yeah, right, Danny Boy.  You’ve done a bang-up job so far.  What are you up to in deaths now?  Nine… ten?”

“Fuck you, O’Neill!” Daniel shouted back.  “I’m going with them and there’s not a damn thing you can do to stop me!”

“Oh yeah?” Jack retorted, “one phone call, Daniel.  I make one phone call and the ‘gate will be locked.”

“This is nuts!  _You’re nuts!_ ”  Daniel yelled as he began to wheel himself away from the crowd around him heading towards the door.

“Where do you think you’re going, Jackson?!”  The older man grabbed the handles of the wheelchair, stopping him.

Daniel swung around and tried in vain to hit him, growing menacingly, “Let go, Jack… goddamnit!”

Lya came between the men and placed a gentle hand on each of them.

“Please, there is no need for this anger.  Nafrayu will be with Daniel, I assure you.  No harm will come to him.”

Jack set an icy glare on the small woman.  Clenching his jaw so tightly they all could hear it crack, he backed away from Daniel’s wheelchair.

Lya turned to Sam and asked, “Will you accompany Daniel, Nafrayu and I to the surface of this mountain, please?  We wish to clear our heads in the fresh air and speak with Daniel.”

Glancing over at O’Neill, Sam saw the mistrust, but also resignation.  He nodded once.

Vala came over to stand beside Daniel, “May I come also?”

Casting a glance at Daniel and seeing the care he had for this unknown woman, Lya smiled, “Yes, you may come also.”

The three women led the way out of Daniel’s room with Nafrayu pushing his wheelchair behind them.  When they reached the elevator, Jack gave a warning glare to Carter, stating that in no uncertain terms was she to let Daniel out of her sight.

The doors closed and the small party ascended to the top of the mountain.  Jack immediately took off for the security A.V. room.  He was going to pull up all the outside cameras and turn on the tracking device all SG members had embedded into them.

* * *

 

_31 October 2008 — 17:15 hours_

 

When they were outside in the beautiful but cool fall air, the three humans seemed to relax.  The sun was almost gone, but all could still see fairly well.  Vala took over wheeling Daniel to his favorite lookout point that was private, away from the eyes of the topside guards and video surveillance.  The archaeologist knew that Jack would be mad.  He was sure he went to the A.V. room to watch them on the security cameras.  _Take that, O’Neill!_

Once they found the right spot, Vala and Sam sat down on a fallen tree.  The two Nox wandered a little, investigating the flora.  It was a quiet place that had a view of Colorado Springs.  The breeze ruffled the crisp leaves giving off a soothing smell of timber.  Off to their right, the mountain wall jutted up even higher.

Daniel loved this location.  He had found it the first time he had come to Cheyenne Mountain to break the mystery of the cover stone.  There were Native American pictographs on the rock that he discovered years ago.  Whenever he needed a break from Goa’uld translations, he would head up here to study the markings.  After a bit of silence, all of them began to feel better.

Lya turned to Daniel and spoke softly, “Daniel, is it your desire to go with Nafrayu to meet the Tuatha Dé Danann?”

“Yes, it is,” he answered firmly.

Vala turned away from him, feeling caught between being pissed that he wanted to go and scared that he wouldn’t come back.  Lya noticed and gazed at the raven haired woman that sat holding Daniel’s hand.  She touched Vala’s arm, drawing her attention.

“Are you Daniel’s mate?”

The pair was surprised by the question.  They looked at one other, wondering what the answer really was.  With a flush of color rising in his cheeks, Daniel gave her a small smile and then turned back to Lya.

“Something like that,” he answered.

Lya nodded and turned back to address Vala, “And do you wish for Daniel to seek healing?”

Vala looked down for a moment, studying her hands.  She remained silent until Daniel reached over and placed his hand on her face.  Glancing into his cerulean eyes, she nodded her head in acquiescence.

“Yes,” she finally said with a strong voice, “it’s what he wants and I believe in him.”

With that said, Nafrayu stood and walked to the side of the mountain.  He placed his hand on the hard surface and ran it gently around until it came to rest on a specific point.  Turning to Lya, he motioned that he had found the place.  He selected a stone from the ground and proceed to draw a door on the stone.

“It is time then,” Lya said.

Sam and Vala’s faces were a picture of utter shock.

“What?” Sam asked in a squeaky voice.  “Here?  Now?  How?”

Daniel laughed at her, “English wasn’t your strong subject, huh, Sam?”

She playfully cuffed the back of his head, “But aren’t you going through the Stargate?  I don’t understand!”

Lya smiled at her with something that resembled sympathy, “We need not use your Stargate, Samantha, for the Tuatha Dé Danann are here and always have been.”

Daniel looked at them with surprise, “Then how have you been communicating with them if not by the Stargate?”

“There are many forms of communication that the Tau’ri have yet to discover.  The Tuatha have never left this world as so many others have.  They simply live behind the veil.”

“Samhain, when the veil is the thinnest…,” Daniel murmured to himself, “that’s why we had to wait. Because now’s the only time I would be able to cross over.”

“You truly are a marvel, Daniel Jackson!” Lya told him with a smile.

A noise made them turn back to Nafrayu.  They all watched in inexpressible wonder as the drawn door on the cliff side rumbled open.

Nafrayu walked back to Daniel and smiled at him. “Are you ready, my friend?”

Dumbstruck, he merely nodded.  Nafrayu began to push the wheelchair awkwardly towards the door.

“Wait!”  Vala shouted.  She ran up to Daniel and kissed him hard, “You better come back to me, Moswen.  I don’t care if you have legs or not.  I just want you.  I love you!”

Daniel smiled at her, and wiping the tear on her cheek away he pulled her down into another long and meaningful kiss.

“I will, my love.  I promise.”

Sam went up and put her arm around her comfortingly.  With one last look, Daniel and Nafrayu disappeared into the darkness.  The door closed with a grating sound and the mountain was as it always had been.

* * *

 

_31 October 2008 — 17:55 hours_

 

The elevator descended taking the three women into the bowels of the mountain.  When the doors opened, it was as if a hurricane blew in.

“Carter. Your office. Now!  You too, Vala!”

They both waved good bye to Lya and followed the General.  The door closed and O’Neill rounded on them.

“I can’t _believe_ you just let him go!”

Running his hands through his close-cropped hair, he let out an exasperated sigh.  As he continued to pace around Carter’s lab, the teammates watched his anger grow.

“It was his decision, Jack,” Vala finally said in a defiant voice.  “He wants to be whole again. Wouldn’t you want the same?”

Jack glared at her, as if trying to boor a hole through her with his eyes.  She didn’t even recoil.  Giving up, O’Neill hung his head in defeat.

“What happens now?” he asked.

Both Sam and Vala looked at each other and shrugged.  They didn’t know any more than he did.

“We have to believe that Daniel will do the right thing, sir,” Carter said a hint of worry in her voice.  “He’ll be okay.  He’s always come home.  You know he has an uncanny way of showing up… even when we were sure he wouldn’t.”

Jack nodded his head.  Looking back at the women, he waved a hand with a small shrug and left the lab.

Vala glanced over to Sam and let out a sigh, “Well… that was fun.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Emick, Jennifer. Everything Celtic Wisdom Book. Avon, MA: Adams Media, 2009. Print.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

_Date: Unknown — Planet Designation: P2X-3YZ — Time: Unknown_

  
The door closed behind Nafrayu and Daniel with a deafening scrape of granite on granite.   _Like giant nails on a giant chalkboard_ , thought Daniel.  Then reality simply bent into itself, leaving the linguist without the words to explain that experience in a way that would make sense to the human mind.

He could _smell_ how fast he was moving, _hear_ the purple luminescence that vibrated behind his eyes.  This exchange of senses seemed to last forever.  It was as if he was going through the Stargate but inside-out.

Daniel remembered a pizza party in his first semester in college when some ass thought it would be funny to _dose the dork_ by adding LSD to his soda.  He was just 16 years-old and recalled spending the night huddled on the floor of the kitchen pantry, packages of Ramen noodles scattered all around him.  They felt cool and resonated with a lovingly soothing crunch when he squeezed them.

The indigo sound in his ears suddenly tasted red.  Dark, sensual, berry red.  The juice running down the back of his throat spread warmth down his neck and spine, to his arms and fingertips, and down his waist to the stumps that used to be legs.

Everything then went black.  Well, not exactly black, just not— _there_.  Nafrayu was gone.  The wheelchair was gone.   _He_ was gone.  There were no more whirling sensations or confusion.  Just a warm, content nothing.  This was nice and so very peaceful.  He totally understood the song _Comfortably Numb_. _ **[1]**_

Slowly Daniel became aware of pinpoints of white and orange light that shot through the darkness like sparks from a bonfire.  First, there were only a few, then a few more— swirling all around him in seemingly random formations.  Pulling together and then flying apart, they were like fireflies courting and dancing in the dark.

A deep humming pulsed, building slowly into what seemed to be music.  The sound expanded and he realized that they were pipes.  As he listened to the melodious tones, the lights throbbed and skipped.  They started joining together like stars dancing around a cosmic maypole.  Morphing and changing, they meld into a rhythm, forming a remarkably beautiful and vivid entity.  He imagined that this was what falling into a kaleidoscope would feel like.  It was soothing and Daniel was sure he was dead, _again_ and experiencing… an angel… or a vision of heaven.

Suddenly the throbbing music began to form an audible structure that he recognized as a language.  And not just any language.  Unmistakably, these were words he knew— pulsing, twisting, turning.  This was Gaelic!

“Daniel Jackson, you beautiful child,” he heard the slow cadence of the melody coalescing into words in the echoing void.  “I am the Gate-Keeper and you have the look of one who has seen the back of the north wind.  We have been expecting you.  Welcome.”

The light wrapped itself around Daniel, cradling him like an infant.  He had never known contentment such as this.

“We know why you are here, but indulge us, say what it is you truly seek.”

The voice was resounding and vibrating through him.  He had to make a real effort to remember not only his purpose but also who he was.  In the confusion of the moment, his motives and priorities no longer seemed clear so Daniel struggled to find the right words.

“I seek healing.”

He wasn’t even sure if he spoke the words out loud or merely thought them.  His voice sounded weak and small compared to the Gate-Keeper’s.  As Daniel uttered those three timid words, he realized that he was asking for more than just his legs to be returned.  He wanted healing, a real deep, solid restoration after forty years of pain, losses, and death… so much death.  Not just his, but also the deaths that he was guilty of causing.  He wanted his very soul healed.

Laughter rang out—

“Daniel Jackson, you may pass.  Welcome to the twilight lands of the _Sidhe_ , Tir Na n’Óg - Land of Youth.”

Suddenly, as if someone had pulled the plug on a giant bathtub, he felt himself pulled through an infinitely small hole in the fabric of time, space or reality as he knew it.  He wasn’t sure.  One moment nothing, and then…

Daniel and Nafrayu were standing in what appeared to be a stone hall.  He looked back and saw a huge caldron and almost laughed.  _Jack will never believe this_ , he thought to himself.

Turning around, he saw tables all in line with steaming plates of every kind of game you could imagine.  Beef, lamb, chicken, duck, and pork— all as roasts and chops, fire kissed and fat glistening.

On another table, there were exotic fruits and vegetables.  On yet another table, there were pastries, chocolates, cakes, cookies, custards, tarts, and baked puddings.  Basically, he saw every confection he had ever known.  Daniel pictured Jack’s face seeing the third table and smiled.

He remembered reading that eating the food of the Sidhe was the same as signing a contract of eternal servitude.  Still, there was no one here but Nafrayu, and he realized that he was ravenous.  He took a step towards one of the laden tables and for the first time it registered.  He had legs again!  These legs were whole, with no scars, no seams, or ghost pain.  He had his legs back.

And then he also noticed what he _didn’t_ have.  Clothes.  Blushing profusely, he looked over at Nafrayu and saw that the young man was also without a stitch on; only on him, it didn’t seem to matter as much.  Looking down at his body, Daniel saw that the scar from his appendix was also gone.  He raised a hand to the side of his face and felt his cheek.  There too, the scar was gone, he felt only his beard.  And his glasses were not in their customary spot on his nose, but he could see with an utter clarity that he never had before.

He looked at Nafrayu dumb-founded, “How?”

“I am afraid I do not understand the Tuatha, or how they work.  They are much older and a great deal more advanced than the Nox or even the race you call the Ancients.”

Daniel couldn’t help but laugh wildly.  He threw caution to the wind and ran down the length of the hall.  He jumped, spun and then ran back to a smiling Nafrayu.  He had never felt so exhilarated… well, no, not quite true.  He had felt like that when he had cast off the physical realm altogether, but that was like a fading dream.  His whoops and hollers echoed down the stone hall.  He stopped and took a deep breath and the smells of all that food came cascading in.

_Be careful of willow trees, never sleep in a toadstool ring, and never… ever… eat food or drink wine and ale offered by the Tuatha Dé Danann._

Daniel remembered the warnings, and he stared at Nafrayu vexed.

“I’m hungry and very thirsty,” he told his companion.  “Hmmm, Nafrayu, do you think it would really do any harm to get a drink?  Legends repeatedly speak of how dangerous it is to accept fairy hospitality.”

“Nothing regarding the Tuatha is ever assured.  They are never safe, everything has a condition attached— or two or three,” the young one answered.

Daniel thought about it for a moment.  He walked over to a giant oaken barrel on one side of the hall.  It was surrounded by massive oaken mugs.  He was here; he felt better than he had in an extremely long time and damn it!  Why not?

“Can I pour you a mug?  What have I got to lose?  I already know what it’s like to be without these,” he said slapping his legs and grinning like a Cheshire cat.  “Let’s celebrate.”

“As you will, my friend,” smiled Nafrayu.

Daniel grabbed two mugs and turned the wooden spout on the kegs.  A golden liquid gushed into the mugs.  He handed one to Nafrayu.

“Here’s to the freakin’ little people!!”

He drank deep and closed his eyes to savor the crisp, sweet, yeasty goodness that flowed over his tongue and down his throat.  It was magnificent.  When he opened his eyes, it was as if a curtain had been lifted.  Colors brightened and pipe music floated around the hall.  There were suddenly hundreds of beings all around him, laughing, eating, drinking, and dancing.  Before him stood a tall, sleek, muscular, olive-skinned man.  He stood there smiling with arms opened wide.

“Welcome home, Master Daniel!” he said as he embraced the stunned man.

With eyes as wide as they could get, the lover of all things past was staring into the face of history itself.

“You are Ta’om.  I don’t know why I know that, but you are _The Poet_ ,” Daniel whispered in an awed voice.

“You know us all, Daniel, because you are one of us,” Ta’om smiled at him.  “Sit down and dine with me.”

Daniel looked at Nafrayu questioningly receiving a grin and a nod.  The Nox turned and walked over to the vegetable and fruit table and started to graze.

Ta’om pulled on Daniel’s arm, “Come, Daniel, sit.  We have much to discuss and much to discover together.”

He gestured to a bench at one of the giant stone dining tables.  Then Ta’om motioned to a beautiful, tall, moss-green woman.  As she came closer, Daniel remembered how exposed he was.  Immediately embarrassed, he covered himself the best he could.

Ta’om laughed at the newcomer and then turned to the woman, “Sister, fix our friend a plate of food.  He has gone too long and his spirit is famished.”

She smiled and nodded.  Daniel couldn’t take his eyes away from her.

Ta’om grasped his arm, “You have questions?”

“How…?” Daniel said looking at his legs.

“You of all people should know that the physical shell we cloak ourselves in is of our own creation. An outward manifestation if you will.”

Ta’om suddenly changed before Daniel’s eyes.  His olive skin turned rough and scaly, his pointed ears were abruptly absorbed into the sides of his head, dark pupils turned into vertical slits and his tongue flickered out of his mouth, snake-like.  Just as quickly, he morphed back to his original form.

Daniel gaped at him.  The change was so quick that he thought he might have imaged it.  But then, with a smile, Ta’om pointed at Daniel.  Looking down at himself, he found that he now had a light shirt of fabric he could not name and a pair of breeches on.  They felt like the softest deer hide he had ever touched.  Then a steaming plate of food was placed in front of Daniel.

“Eat, Master Daniel.  You are going to need your strength.  Tonight the _Children of the Earth_ celebrates you, my friend.”

Daniel tucked into his food with fervor.  He had never tasted anything as amazing.  Nafrayu sat down beside the linguist.

“So, Dr. Jackson, is this what you expected?” the young Nox asked.

“I didn’t know what to expect.  In the past, I have dealt with aliens that were manipulating humans by expounding on mythic archetypes…”

Ta’om laughed a loud, deep laugh, “I _am_ a mythic archetype, boy.”

“My point exactly,” Daniel smiled.

Another mug of mead was placed before him by the same Green Woman that brought his food.  She ran her fingers through his hair and blew a thin stream of air across the back of his neck.

“Will you dance with me, Daniel Jackson?” she asked in a sultry whisper.

Daniel closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  His head was whirling.

 _You never could handle your alcohol, Danny-boy_. Jack’s voice echoed in his mind.  He turned and looked at the beautiful fairy woman that was rubbing up against him, cat-like.

“I, I… I don’t dance.”

“Ridiculous!  Everyone dances.  Just feel the music pulsing through your soul, boy.  Raise your arms and spirit… _let_ yourself become,” Ta’om said, smiling slyly.

Daniel shook his head, “I don’t dance and I don’t sing!” he said a little too loudly.  Then added in a dropped tone, “Not anymore, at least.”

He raised the mug of mead and drank deeply even though he could feel his mind starting to float.

“This is not a place where your pain and grieving are welcome.  We have no patience with self-pity.  You have got to let go and dance,” Ta’om cuffed him on the shoulder.

Daniel glanced at Nafrayu.  The young Nox smiled and quietly said, “I am going to go home, Daniel.  It is a bit loud for me.  You will be taken care of, there is no need to fear.  They will return you to your home… if that is what you desire.”

Daniel’s heart raced anxiously.  It was clear he had only scratched the surface of this strange place in all of his previous research and readings.  He nodded and drank deeply again.  Before he knew it, the Green Woman’s hand was on his thigh.

“Dance with me.  Use your new legs, child, and dance with me.”

The Green Woman’s voice was as honey.  Dark and rich, sluicing its way into his soul.  Daniel stood up and tentatively took her hand.  Nothing seemed solid.  There was an odd feeling that everyone and everything was quivering… vibrating around the edges.  Very slowly, they made their way to a chain of dancers that was weaving its way down the great hall.  She had an iron-like hold on Daniel.  Suddenly they were swept into the frenzied line of dancing Tuatha.  The jig echoed and the crowd twisted round and about, carrying Daniel like an errant wave.  Everything was a blur.  Faster and faster the music droned and the throng moved increasingly chaotic through the hall.

At the pinnacle of the dance, Daniel realized he would be perfectly content if it _never_ ended.  He vaguely remembered tales of men caught in fairy mounds, dancing and partying till they went mad… or died.  Was this his fate?  To regain his legs only to lose his mind?

The music slowed and he looked around the hall.  It was empty except for Ta’om and the beautiful Green Woman.  He suddenly realized he had no idea what to call her, and that she looked exceedingly familiar to him.  They went back to the table to alleviate their thirst.  He took a long swig of his mead; it went straight to his head.

“Why do you believe the Nox brought you to us?” asked Ta’om, the Poet.

“Because you were the only ones with the technology that could replace my legs?” Daniel answered the question with a question.

“No, Daniel… we have watched and waited for you.  Do you think someone like yourself would go unnoticed?  We had known you before you were born.  We nearly switched you in your cradle, like we did with your father.  However, we realized that you needed to experience life, the universe, death, and ascension.”

Daniel’s face was an image of shock and confusion.  The tomb-like silence of the hall overwhelmed him.  After another sip, he turned his attention back to Ta’om.

“Um… I, I really don’t understand.  You took my father?  But he… he was human, like me.”

The fairy smiled warmly and said, “At first he was, yes.  But we saw in him the potential to become so much more.  We took him and raised him.  Teaching Melburn of our ways.  But, as what sometimes happens, he returned to the realm of his birth… and forgot.”

Daniel’s eyes were wide with surprise.  Then he wondered why the Tuatha were interested in him,  “Why would you know about me?  Aside from my father being here, I’m not that important.”

Ta’om softly chuckled as he reached out and put his hand on Daniel’s arm, “You are of the Sidhe, Daniel Jackson.  One of us.  And now you have come home to us at last.”

“But… b, but how?”

“Magic, my dear one.”

“There’s no such thing as magic… only unknown technology,” he said with confidence.

Ta’om shook his head slowly with a wry smile.  “Oh, Daniel… how young you are.  Of course there is magic.  Human’s have merely changed the name.  Have you not seen for yourself wonders that mystified comprehension?  In human terms, you have died many times, therefore your very existence is supernatural!

“Do not dismiss what is all around you as _only technology undiscovered_.  The Tuatha have been a part of the universe before time was counted.  Yes, we are, as you would say, advanced.  Still, what happens all around us _is_ magic.”

“Your father, he knew of the magic.  When he did not return, the knowledge was lost to him.  You, however, have embraced the idea of the impossible.  The unusual for you is normal.  You have even used the magic of the ones you call _Ancients_.  In your battle with  Orici called Adria, did you not tap into the powers of Merlin?”

Daniel’s brows were creased and low over his eyes as he tried to comprehend what Ta’om was saying.  Everything he ever acknowledged as cold hard fact was being turned inside-out.  He was a man of science.  He accepted that the Ancients were merely further along the evolutionary line.  Their human brains, being more evolved, gave them their extraordinary abilities.

Still, the very definition of magic was to have _extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural source_ , according to some dictionaries.  But then he remembered how frightened and intrigued Skaara and the Abydonians were when he pulled out a pen to write in his journal.  It took him days to convince them it wasn’t sorcery.  Taking that into account, he supposed all science could be classified as magic.  His head was swimming.

“I think I need another beer.”

Ta’om smiled at him, placing a long fingered hand on Daniel’s shoulder.  “Come, it is late.  I will show you where you can sleep.  Tomorrow, I have a special surprise for you.”

Daniel stood and followed Ta’om in silence.  His head was reeling with the combination of mead, dance, and information.  He wasn’t sure how to take it all in.

And then there was the little voice inside his head that kept needling him in Jack’s warning tone, _Watch your six, Danny.  You don’t know what these guys **really** want with you.  And don’t forget, I’m not comin’ to bail your ass out this time_.

Then another voice gently nudged at him.  A soft, smoky voice.  One that hung with meaning and truth.   _I love you, my Daniel.  Don’t forget._

He shook his head to try to clear the cobwebs so he could identify the second voice, but instead it just faded away.  The only thought that came to him was— _Carpe Occasio_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Pink Floyd, Songwriters: WATERS, ROGER/GILMOUR, DAVID JON  
> © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., IMAGEM U.S. LLC


	9. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

_Date: Unknown — Planet Designation: P2X-3YZ — Time: Unknown_

  
The next morning, Daniel awoke with the smell of bacon wafting past his nose.  He was so comfortable he didn’t want to open his eyes just yet.  Sighing in contentment, he shifted a little, then froze.  Something was lying on his chest.  Vaguely remembering the Green Woman, his mind raced through the events of the previous evening, trying to recall if something had happened after all the mead he had consumed. 

Slowly opening an eye, he let out a relieved breath.  He was face to face with a large cat.  Reaching out, he began to stroke the friendly feline and chuckled.  Luminescent blue eyes stared into azure ones.  He had never seen a cat with those color eyes before.  Usually, the eyes were merely yellow or green.  She was entirely black save for two faint white streaks streaming down from an ear to alongside one of her eyes.

“Hey there,” Daniel greeted his companion.  “Where did you come from?”

The big cat merely blinked at him with a smile on its furry face.  She seemed quite happy to continue lying on Daniel’s chest.

“You know,” the linguist said quietly, “I’m allergic to cats.”

Again, the cat blinked.  Daniel smiled at her and continued to pet the silky soft fur.  He could feel the low rumble of the cat’s purr course into his chest.  They stayed in this position for some time.  Daniel petting, the cat purring, in peaceful and soothing companionship.

A noise outside Daniel’s room had the cat’s tufted ears perk-up.  Turning its head towards the door, the cat mewed a greeting to Ta’om as he entered the room.

“You have a friend, I see,” the muscular fairy said with a grin.

Daniel smiled and tried again to sit up.  The cat gave him a disgruntled look and stretched out even more to prevent her comfy couch from moving.  Daniel laughed quietly at the cat.

“Seems she doesn’t want me to get up yet,” he told Ta’om.

Sitting down on the bed next to the archeologist, Ta’om stroked the cat’s back, making her arch and purr even louder.

“Cats are known for innately understanding the spirit of people.  And a fairy cat such as this will only approach a human if it senses a kinship with that person.”  Ta’om turned his gaze to Daniel, “She has become your familiar.”

Daniel turned his attention back to the black cat.  He looked into the feline’s eyes.  Unfathomable and shimmering, it reminded him of a vertical pool of sparkling water in a stone ring— He wasn’t real sure what the image was or even where he remembered it from.  It bothered him that his thoughts and memories seemed to be drifting in and out of focus.  Perhaps it was fairy magic, or he was just going plumb crazy.  But even that thought soon drifted out of mind.

“What’s her name, Ta’om?”

The elfin man laughed.  Daniel thought his laugh sounded like a symphony of bells that filled the room.

“You must ask _her_ that, Daniel.  A familiar will only tell her name to her pet.”

The linguist raised his eyebrows up in surprise.  He asked incredulously, “I’m _her_ pet?”

Both the cat and the fairy grinned.  Ta’om stood up and walked towards the door.  Saying over his shoulder, “If you are hungry, there is food in the main hall.  The cat will show you the way.”

The pair stayed reclined in a contented silence.  Daniel was wondering about his father.  How could he have been a Sidhe?  He knew his dad was half Irish-half Welsh, as so many from New York were. And that his paternal grandfather was from the County Galway on the western coast of Ireland.  That memory sparked another.  Many of the Tuatha stories centered in and around County Galway.  Still, if Melburn really was one of the fairy folk, why had the man forgotten?

A story his mom had told him popped into his mind.  She said that she had seen Melburn in a pub in England when she was a student at Oxford.  Claire thought he was cute and decided to go over and talk with him.  The way she told the story, as soon as Melburn set eyes on her, he was smitten.  From then on, one was never seen without the other nearby.  Maybe she was what caused him to consider never returning to Tir Na n’Óg.  Could the desire for a woman really cause a man to leave a place such as this?

Then a new vision entered Daniel’s thoughts.  It took him a long time to get the image to come into focus.  He closed his eyes and concentrated hard.  As if lightning in a clear blue sky, he remembered.  A woman with dark hair and dark eyes, standing in long, flowing robes.  He lived with her in a desert and he knew that they were in love.  And she was the reason he did not go back.  Go back?  Back where?  Thinking of her made his heart ache though he couldn’t pinpoint why.  This forgetting thing was really starting to annoy him.

With his eyes still closed he absentmindedly continued to stroke the cat.  Another scene floated almost out of reach.  He could vaguely see a beautiful woman with long, black hair and smoky gray-blue eyes.  Daniel knew it wasn’t the woman from the desert.  But thinking of the smoky-eyed lady made him both warm, fuzzy _and_ irritated all at the same time.  Who was she?  The picture would not sharpen enough to see her clearly.  She sort of resembled the Green Woman he danced with the night before.  Accept not green, but pale and soft and smelled of anise, like a sweet liqueur.

His head was starting to ache and his stomach to grumble.  Stretching out, Daniel slowly stood, unceremoniously plopping the cat on the floor.  She stared at accusingly, jumped back onto the bed and began to clean her paw.  As he gave her a small pout, the newly restored man tested his weight on his ‘new’ legs.  It was as if he’d never lost his old ones.  Muscle tone was firm and there were no, scars.  Daniel knew when he had come to Tir Na n’Óg it was for healing.  He remembered that his legs were missing, but not how nor why.  The cat meowed loudly jarring him from his thoughts.

He dressed and made his bed, despite the cat’s protest.  Sitting back down, Daniel again stroked his newfound friend.

“So,” he spoke to the animal, “are you going to tell me your name?”

The elfin cat looked at him smugly and meowed.  Daniel smiled at her, “Okay… keep your secrets,” he said.  “Will you show me the way to the hall where breakfast is served?”

He felt a little foolish for asking a cat for directions, but the feline stood up, stretched, and then jumped off the bed, heading out the door.  Amazed, Daniel got up and followed his familiar.  He was glad that the cat knew the way, as the tunnels twisted and turned like a labyrinth.  He enjoyed the walk through passages that were lit with an iridescent green.  Daniel could not see any lights, so he figured it must be a natural luminescence.

When he turned a corner, he stopped abruptly.  The walls were carved with Ogham inscriptions.  Stepping up to study the writings, Daniel could feel his mouth watering.  Every symbol was in pristine condition.  Tentatively, the archeologist ran his fingers lightly over the wall, as his mind raced to understand what words said.  He knew this… knew that languages were something he loved.  he was so enthralled with the carvings that he didn’t notice the cat winding around his legs until he tripped and fell to the ground.  The black feline walked up and sat in Daniel’s lap.

“Sorry— um… cat,” Daniel murmured to his furry friend.  “This is… soooo fantastic!  It’s fresh… and, and, and… new!  I’ve never seen these letters all complete and— wow!”

The cat purred in pleasure as Daniel continued to stare at the wall in front of him in amazement.  As he watched, the meaning of the words came to him.  It was a poem.

 

_Hark, the faeries are here,_

_Inviting you to tell them your own story_

_So they can weave it into their enchantments._

 

_Each moment in Faerie is newly born, vital, and_

_Various, always different from the instant before._

_Nothing is fixed.  The signs and symbols and the_

_Words you hear can only truly be translated by you._

 

_So look,_

_And feel._

_And know. **[1]**_

 

He read it aloud to the cat twice, trying to understand the passage.  “Hmmmm— maybe this is the reason I’m having trouble remembering anything.   _Each moment in Faerie is newly born, vital, and Various, always different from the instant before. Nothing is fixed_.”

The human cocked his head to one side, with a perplexed expression.  As Daniel petted the cat the smells of breakfast stirred his stomach into a growl.  Putting the cat on the ground, he stood up and once again touched the carvings.  The cat meowed at him to quit dawdling and move on.

“Sheesh,” Daniel said, “you are as bad as… as… damn it, I can’t remember!  I think it’s someone I know, but it just won’t come to me.  This is really getting aggravating.”

For the first time, he had a feeling of unease.  Like when you just can’t remember the lyric to your favorite song, or when you’re supposed to be somewhere important but you don’t know why.  Yet the moment passed, his worry flitted away on the wings of a butterfly, and he was concerned no longer.

The archeologist entered the main hall with his furry shadow leading the way.  It wasn’t crowded like the night before, only a handful of _people_ sat at a table.  Ta’om beckoned Daniel to come and join him.  As soon as he sat down, the Green Woman placed a plate of food before him.  Daniel smiled shyly at her as she poured him a glass of wine.

“I am very glad you are here with me, Daniel,” she purred in his ear.

Daniel glanced up at her to smile, but grimaced when his cat sunk her claws into his leg.  The woman sat down across the table from him and began to eat her morning fare.  Taking his time he covertly looked at her.  She seemed so familiar to him.  Her skin was tinted green and her hair was black, long and wild.  In front were streaks of white hanging down over her eyes.  There were leaves woven throughout— the same color as her skin.  Her eyes were a gray-green and her lips…  Her lips had just the right amount of pout in them.  They were lush and kissable lips.

He felt as if he could do anything when she was near him, as a healing energy raced through his veins.  When she touched him, it was always so gentle, like rain on an April day.  Daniel felt like a teenager falling in love for the first time.  Yet a stirring rustled in his heart, and he realized this was _not_ the woman who made him feel this way.  But then who…?

“Child,” Ta’om brought him back to the now, “we have waited so long for you to come to us.  I wish to make you known to our brothers and sisters.”

Daniel looked at the others sitting at the table.

Ta’om stood and indicated to his left, “The Queen of the Day, The Speaker of Truth, The Lord of the Forest.”

Daniel smiled and nodded in salute.

Ta’om then pointed to Daniel’s right and continued, “You already know the Green Woman.  Next to her are The Gift, Dagda, who is our Father and the ruler of all the Tuatha, and Oghma, the God of Language.

“We are here for you— to guide, to teach, and to heal.”

Daniel was overwhelmed.  He knew next to nothing about any of these people.  Even after all the studying and reading he had done… but that seemed so long ago.

The Queen of the Day stood and bowed her head to him, “Master Daniel, peace to you my son,” she said in a voice that sounded like a lazy brook.  “I am here to guide you to tranquility and grace.  You have so much pain and grief inside you.  You must let it go, my son.  Embrace the beauty that is yours to have.”

Daniel listened to the fair elfin woman with a heart so desperate to accept her words.  Tranquility was not something he ever had in his life.  Well, that couldn’t be entirely accurate.  He supposed that when he was young and his parents were with him, he felt that way.

She placed a long-fingered hand upon his head and whispered words he did not understand.  A warm feeling trickled down his body, like honey.  His mind went blank, but his soul sang.  When she kissed the top of his head, a calm he was sure he had never known washed over him.  Daniel sighed in contentment, wishing only to burn this feeling into his mind so that he would never lose it.

The Queen of the Day smiled at him and resumed her place at the table.

Next, a painfully thin man stood and bowed to Daniel.  He was tall and lithe.  His skin was gray-green and he had an austere look about him.  Short antler-like horns graced his forehead as his hair hung long down his back.

“Daniel, my friend, and brother,” he began, “you have made me proud over the years of your life.  With all the atrocities that have happened to you, you continue to speak with truth.  You have an open heart and a fair mind.  You stand for those who have no voice and defended those that have been wronged, even when no other would.

“Never stray from your personal truth no matter who might stand against you.  Follow your heart, brother, and the Sidhe shall always be a part of you.”

The Speaker of the Truth sat back down and reached for his mug of ale.  Next to him another swarthy man stood.  Leaves stuck out of his hair hither and thither, and his clothing was made of rich loam.

“I give you serenity, Master Daniel. I am the Lord of the Forest.  My gift to you is strength.  Strength for what is to come.  You have always stood firm in your convictions and soon you will need the power that I offer you.  Your heart is open to us, Daniel and I can see the love you have for another.”

Daniel immediately glanced to the Green Woman, and she smiled salaciously back at him.

“You must take a firm and gentle hold of your spirit.  Protect the one you love, the mate that has your heart.  Guard your pack, your family, and clan with no reservations, as you always have.  Your actions speak loudly but also listen to the quiet and the dreaming.  Daniel, my brother, hold on to these simple truths, for doubt will always linger.”

Daniel tried to recall the _pack_ the Lord mentioned.  His family was here… wasn’t it?  And who was this mate that held his heart?  He was so confused.  Then a vaguely familiar voice tickled his mind, _You better come back to me, Moswen.  I don’t care if you have legs or not.  I just want you. I love you!_

The voice in Daniel’s head continued to pester him.  It was so familiar, so intoxicating.  Suddenly, his attention was pulled back from the fluid memory when he felt the cat twist around his legs.  Jumping up, she mewed at him contently and laid on his lap, tucking her front paws underneath, like a bird nesting.

The Gift, the fairy that was sitting next to Daniel, stood up gracefully.  He could tell that it was female from the sheer chemise that did little to hide her body.  She wore a haunting mask that entirely covered her face. Carved from an oak tree, it was dark and wonderfully engraved.  She also had antlers coming out from the tangled and knotted green hair.  Around her neck, she wore a gold band with a jewel in the center shined brightly.

She did not speak but merely placed a silver torque around Daniel’s neck, embossed with typical Celtic designs.  Similar to a choker, it did not completely close in the front.  Each end was decorated with blue gems that shimmered like clear water, exactly matching his eyes.

Daniel touched it and was surprised that it felt warm, not at all like metal.  He smiled at the strange woman and bowed his head in thanks.  Ta’om shocked Daniel when he spoke next to him.

“The gift she has given to you freely is richly deserved, for she does not give lightly.  It contains all the wisdom you have acquired throughout your travels.  And holds all that you have seen and been given here in the Land of Youth.

“But a warning I must give; you may _never_ take it off.  If it comes off, even by accident, the gift that she has bestowed will flee and leave you broken and quite mad.   _If_ you decide to return to your world, the torque will be a reminder of these gifts and the caution they bare.”

Daniel’s eyes widened.  He knew that fairy gifts always… _always_ , had a price.  However, what confused him was the idea of a different world.  One that Ta’om said was _his world_.  Daniel was sure that _this_ was his world.  He had dreamed of another, but couldn’t remember anything substantial about it.

“But,” Daniel started in a worried voice, “I belong here.  What world are you speaking of my brother?”

“The realm from whence you came, Daniel.  A world that is as distant from this one— as the beginning of a breath from the end of the sigh.  One you should return too, but we will not force you to go.”

About to protest, Daniel saw the largest man stand up.  All were deathly quiet.  He was by far the tallest of all of them and had skin the color of the sun.  His face was kind and seemingly chiseled from stone.

“My son,” he said with a voice as intense as thunder, yet gentle as snow falling, “I am Dagda, father of all the Tuatha Dé Danann.  I too have a gift for you.”

He placed both his big powerful hands on Daniel’s head and whispered in a voice that sounded like a song of many voices.  Feeling a jolt course through him, he became aware of a darkness that enveloped him briefly.  When it lifted, the place seemed brighter than before.  Dagda returned to his seat and smiled at the confused human.

“What… what did you do?” asked Daniel, “If I may know.”

“I have given you Imbas Forosnai-Knowledge that Illuminates.”

The Tuatha grinned at the blank look upon the face of the younger man, “The gift of foresight, Daniel, my son.  You will be able to glimpse into the future at times of great need.  This will save you and your loved ones from any foe that wishes to harm you.  But you must not rely on this gift, for it will come and go.  As you will learn, magic has no master.  Always be cautious, as with any enchanted force.”

Jackson cocked his head to one side and racked his brains for information about the loved ones Dagda spoke about.  They were people he had the feeling that he knew, but they floated just out of reach of his conscious mind.  He tried hard to gather in the threads of remembrance, but they all just skittered away, and with it, Dagda’s warning.

“Daniel, this gift also has its warnings.  You may never tell anyone of the Imbas Forosnai.  The penalty will be the loss of your eyesight as well as a madness of the mind from which you will never recover.  You must heed our counsel, for your very essence is at stake.”

The archeologist nodded his head, confusion still evident within him.  Ta’om stood again and bowed his head to all those at the table.  Silently they gathered their things and left the stone hall.  Only he, the cat, and one other stayed.  Daniel recalled the name of this one as Oghma.

“Pardon my asking, sir,” Daniel said, “your name is similar to the language that is carved on the walls here.  I’m not much for believing in coincidences.”

The man gave him a dazzling smile and a nod, “Yes, it was named after me.  I was the one who taught the Druids this written language.  I am truly happy that you made the connection.  Come, let us walk together.”

The cat jumped off Daniel’s lap and he stood up to follow Oghma.  The fairy was about as tall as he was but broader.  His skin color was reddish as if he spent too much time in the noonday sun, and the orange and yellow tones in his hair blazed as fire.  He seemed the most _human_ looking of all the fairies that Daniel had met so far.

“I’m glad that you have taken your gift of language so seriously.  You have learned much on your own,” Oghma stated in his quiet singsong voice.

“I don’t understand.”

“As a child, you were touched by the fairy.  I’m sure Ta’om has told you that your father was one of us.”

Jackson nodded.

“And when he didn’t return to our realm, we came and gifted you.  Even though you never understood how languages just seemed to unravel for you, you didn’t shy away.  You embraced your gift wholly.”

“I just always assumed it was because I think so fluidly.  Most of the languages seem to come from another earlier one.”

“Ah, but you have cracked ones that are not even from this planet,” Oghma stated.

This confused Daniel, “What other planets?”

At the edge of his memory, there was the large vertical blue pool that shimmered and danced contained by a stone ring.  He knew it meant something to him, but couldn’t get the thoughts to come together.  As he continued to comb through his stagnant memories, the pale skinned, dark haired woman stepped _out_ of the blue pool and smiled.

“A warning, child,” Oghma placed a hand on Daniel’s arm pulling him from his musings.  “You mustn’t lose yourself here in Tir Na n’Óg.  This is _not_ your home.  Your father belonged here but was spirited away for the love of your mother.  But you my son… you have a destiny to fulfill.  And your mate is waiting for you.”

With that, Oghma turned and padded away, leaving Daniel and the cat to stare after him.  Looking back to the cat, he sighed.  Everything here was in sharp focus, but it seemed to him that there was so much more that he just could not seize.  The cat meowed and walked away with a swish of her tail.  Daniel followed.

The tunnel was dark but not to the point that he couldn’t see.  When they turned a corner, however, the passageway opened out into a vast forest.  He could smell the fresh, sweet air.  The trees were old and gnarled but sang with a youthful voice.  The cat led him to a large boulder next to a quick-flowing stream.  Daniel sat on the rock and closed his eyes so he could more clearly _see_ what was around him.

A pair of lips gently touched his.  Surprised, he opened his eyes to see the Green Woman standing before him.  She smiled, coming closer, intent on another kiss.  Daniel was so startled that he let her.  Her tongue touched his lip and he instinctively opened to her.  At first he felt that nothing was wrong as she kissed him deeply.  Nothing wrong, but it wasn’t quite right.  _She_ wasn’t right.  His mind darkened, and he had the impression of being drugged.

She pressed herself against him making his body start a rebellion with his common sense.  As the Green Woman’s kisses feathered over his face, she guided his hand to her ample bosom.  Daniel carefully ran his fingers over the silky fabric of her robe and kneaded her breast.  As they kissed, he felt everything around him fade away.  He spread his legs open and pulled her closer to him.  He could feel the bulge growing in his breeches.  Daniel so wanted to be inside her, penetrating her, loving her with wild abandon… this vision, this pale and beautiful…

Just as those images came to him, his lips were wrenched from hers with a howl of pain.  The Sidhe screeched when the cat leaped onto Daniel’s lap, crushing his erection.  She fled the forest with a cry of anger and a flash of green.  The cat hissed and spit at her.

“What?… Wait!” Daniel called as he brusquely tossed the cat aside.

“What did you do that for?” he demanded in a growl, rubbing his very sore and now deflating dick.

The cat jumped back onto the rock and began to groom herself as if nothing happened.  Shaking his head, he realized that it was the Green Woman kissing him and not the pale woman from the pool of water.  He knew the Green Woman was not the one that was intended for him, the mate his brother Ta’om had spoken about.  With a small groan, he sat down on the grass and leaned against the boulder.  His shadow hopped down to sit next to him.  The cat meowed with an admonishing look.

“You didn’t have to pounce on my boner, ya know.  A simple scratch would’ve sufficed,” he said as he scratched the feline under her chin.

Closing his eyes, the face he wanted to see instantly came to the forefront of his mind.  The woman’s skin was a soft, milky tan, flawless and beautiful.  Her eyes twinkled and shone with such love that it made his heart jump.  Her smile was a benediction on her face, with lips as ripe as a strawberry.

He knew this beauty; he was sure of it.  But Daniel also knew that she was not one of the Tuatha.  He tried to remember her name until his head began to pound in protest.  The cat stood on his lap and placed a cold nose against his cheek.

“Aisling,” he whispered, “your name is Aisling.  It’s Gaelic and means, um… fantasy, dream… right?”

The cat smiled and rubbed herself on his chest.  Daniel was happy that he discovered his shadow’s name, but the one he wanted still did not come.  He knew the mere sound of it was a song that lifted his heart and occupied his dreams.  It was to her that he sorely needed to get back.

But, back where?

Aisling purred and kneaded his leg as he sat lost in thought.  He distractedly put his hand on the boulder he was leaning against and felt indentations beneath his fingers.  Spinning around, careful not to dislodge Aisling from his lap, he saw the Ogham inscription covering the rock.  This time it did not take long to translate the words.

 

_We are Existent within knowledge of land,_

_We are Existent within knowledge of stars,_

_All Around and Below and Above,_

_East, South, West, and North,_

_This is our prayer.  This is our knowledge,_

_This is our source.  This is our existence. **[2]**_

 

With the dizzying force of a bomb, he remembered.  The stars.  He lived among the stars.  His travels took him beyond the stars and to places never seen before by his kind.  The vertical pool of water in the stone ring was his gateway.

No.

Stargate.

He traveled through the Stargate!  As the image of the kawoosh graced his thoughts, when the event horizon settled.  The blue pool quivered a moment, and then a woman appeared through it, and he knew… finally, he knew!  Her name was Vala.  Vala Mal Doran.

His Vala.

He had to get back!  He had promised her— _Vala_ — that he would be back no matter what.

“Aisling,” he said to the cat, “you need to take me to see Ta’om.  I have to get back to my home.”

The cat smiled, turned, and trotted away with Daniel on her six.

* * *

 

Ta’om smiled as the human paced back and forth in front of him.  He was gesticulating passionately as he spoke of the woman he loved, and the friends he had to return too.

“I’m part of a team called SG-1!  That’s the _pack_ you guys were talking about!  Right?  My family, my clan.  And the woman you and the others spoke of, my mate, her name is _Vala_.  She means everything to me, and I have to get back.  I promised her that I would return!

“And, and, and… the cat told me her name.  Aisling.  It’s Gaelic and means…” Daniel gave a little chuckle. “You already know what it means.”

This was what Ta’om had been waiting to see from Daniel before he would let the man go home.  The love and excitement that he had let die inside and Ta’om needed to make sure it was resurrected entirely.  His passion for the woman he loved with all his heart, and the excitement of a new future.

The poet stopped Daniel and laid a hand on his heart.  He recited a blessing in his own language:

 

_Shuaimhneas, go domhain ar an tonn reatha a thabhairt duit_

Deep peace on the running wave to you

_Shuaimhneas, go domhain ar an aer ag sileadh a thabhairt duit_

Deep peace on the flowing air to you

_Shuaimhneas, go domhain ar an domhain ciúin a thabhairt duit_

Deep peace on the quiet earth to you

_Shuaimhneas, go domhain ar na réaltaí ag taitneamh a thabhairt duit_

Deep peace of the shining stars to you

_Shuaimhneas, go domhain ar an oíche milis a thabhairt duit_

Deep peace on the gentle night to you

_Ghealach agus na réaltaí Doirt n-éadrom leighis ar tú_

Moon and stars pour their healing light on you

_Shuaimhneas, go domhain a thabhairt duit_

Deep peace to you

 

_Mé a thabhairt duit ar an cumhacht ag an iolair_

I give you power of eagle

_Mé a thabhairt duit ar an chumhacht a lon dubh_

I give you power of Raven

_Mé a thabhairt duit an eagna ar nathair_

I give you wisdom of Serpent

_Mé a thabhairt duit an de Eala guth_

I give you voice of Swan

_Mé a thabhairt duit an chumhacht na Mara_

I give you power of Sea

_Mé a thabhairt duit ar an sláine an Talún._

I give you integrity of Land.[3]

 

A vacuum of colors and sounds consumed Daniel.  He was buffeted around and around.  There was no up or down, nor in or out.  His thoughts were focused on the face he loved.  He clung to them with a tenacity of a pit bull.  No other thing would enter his mind until he could see her, hold her, and kiss her.

Vala!  She was the woman that haunted, teased and loved him.  It was as if the whole universe of knowledge opened up to share secrets with him.  Daniel realized then that _Vala_ was a Welsh name and it meant _Chosen_.  And that was exactly what she was to him— his chosen love.

A strong, still voice penetrated his thoughts of Vala and he knew it was Ta’om’s.

“Brother, it will take you some time to adjust to your world again.  Once you have your lover with you, all will become clear again.  And on no account forget my child, you must never utter a word of what you have seen here nor speak of that which was given to you.  If you do, the blindness and insanity will come to you tenfold.  Remember all that you were taught.  Safe journey, Brother Daniel.”

And then it was dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Froud, Wendy and Brian. The Heart of Faerie Oracle. Abrams, N.Y.: Imaginosis Book, 2010. Print.
> 
> [2] Ortiz, Simon. Land and Stars, The Only Knowledge, 1993 http://www.wolfwalkercollection.com/articles/land-stars-only-knowledge (accessed 14 July 2015).
> 
> [3] Irish Proverb. Eleven Doors | Once Puertas, http://elevendoors.com/ (accessed 14 July 2015)


	10. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

_31 October 2008-28 April 2009 — Earth_

  
A day went by and Vala had felt more alone than she ever had before. 

 _Come on, girl_ , she chided herself, _it’s only been one day.  Daniel will come back.  He promised._

But one day became one week.  Then one week turned into one month.  Everything at the SGC was running routinely.  SG-1 was out on missions, including Vala, just to be doing something.  The people on base were gearing up for the Christmas holidays.  Things were relatively quiet out in the great beyond.  It seemed as if everything was crystal.

Vala started to withdraw from her friends a little.  Playing basketball with the boys, or going shopping with Samantha, just didn’t hold the attraction it once had.  Even accepting Teal’c’s invitations to meditate in his quarters before he went back to Chulak, left her feeling even more isolated.  Vala felt like she was drowning in emotions that she had worked hard to keep at bay.  But that was before Daniel.  She would spend a lot of her free time in his office, reading the papers he had written but never could publish.  Learning about different Earth tribes.  It became her refuge and the last thing she had to keep alive her intimate connection to Daniel.

Sam had attempted to coax her away from the mountain, but she refused to leave.  The only place she felt like going from time to time was the clearing where Daniel and Nafrayu left for Tir Na n’Óg the month before.  She liked to sit there for long periods, not caring how cold it got.  She would wait for him, no matter how long it would take.  It surprised her how hard she had fallen for him.  She was usually the one and done kinda gal.  Now…

For the first time, Vala understood how Daniel felt when she disappeared into the Ori galaxy, leaving him with no idea if she was alive or dead.  Sam had told her that she would catch him late at night wondering around the halls or staring at the ‘gate.  Sam said that he had hoped she would breeze back into his life as if nothing had happened.  Now that was her wish.

* * *

 

O’Neill was pissed.  He was pissed at himself, at Sam, at Vala, and at the Nox.  However, he was mostly pissed at himself.  Why did he let Daniel out of his sight?

Upon returning to Washington, he was calling daily to see if his wayward boy had gotten back, but to no avail.  After a few weeks, he finally gave up.  He would call once a month, knowing that if Daniel showed up before hand, they would contact him.

As weeks turned into months, life went back to normal.  There were things to do and places to go.  He would leave the pining to Vala.  The last time he called, Sam had told him that Vala was still struggling.  She rarely talked to anyone, even Sam and spent most of her free time at the mountain-top glen or in Daniel’s office.

Jack once tried to speak with Vala, but she wanted nothing to do with him.  He didn’t take it personally.  He knew she blamed him for pushing Daniel into wanting to go by telling him that he couldn’t.  Tell Daniel he can’t do something and he was going to damn well do it.  O’Neill had always known that about his friend.

* * *

 

The winter came and went.  On April 1st, the Nox dialed the SGC to let them know that Nafrayu was back and see if Daniel was also.  At first Sam thought it was an April Fool’s Day joke but then realized that the Nox didn’t follow her calendar.  She inquired how long the young Nox had been away, but they affirmed once more that the Tuatha did not count time in the same way as the Tau’ri did.  Then, she tried to get them to contact the Tuatha again to find out what was going on, but the Nox told her they could not reach them.

If telling Jack this information was bad enough, then telling Vala what happened made for one of Sam’s shittiest days.  Frustrated, she almost kept it to herself but knew the General would find out and then she would be in for it.

* * *

 

The spring came with marvelous weather and Sam again tried to get Vala off the mountain.  Still, she would not leave.  She did her job efficiently, albeit without emotion.  She went out on missions, helped with translations, and had a healthy color from her regular hikes to the mountain top.  Yet she no longer participated in any social functions and kept mostly to herself.

Vala decided to learn more about the tribe that had called this area home— the Ute tribe.  She was fascinated by the paintings on the wall near where Daniel was swallowed up by the mountain.  They told stories of wars, victories, defeats, and love.  The tragic history of the Native Americans at the hands of the white people reminded her of what the Goa’uld did.  She understood why the Tau’ri were so adamant in defeating them.  And the Ori were no better than some of the missionaries that stole native children away from their tribes to ‘turn them white’.  She was beginning to see why history was so important to Daniel.

One day, Sam found Vala in her usual place on the mountainside, but this time she saw the raven-haired woman painting on the stone wall.  It was the exact place that had consumed Daniel five months before.  She was inscribing a poem in Gaelic.

 

_Bhí dúil mhór agam an measartha, laoch láidir,_

_grá a fheistiú, dúil daingean,_

_grá dó ag breacadh an lae mar a cóirithe sé_

_ag an corrlach na foraoise._

 

_Na súile gorm go bhfuil mná leáigh,_

_agus naimhde eagla, dúil mhór agam_

_ansin, lenár dturas foraoise a rinneadh,_

_a suairc tríd na coillte dorcha._

 

“What’s that say, Vala?” Sam asked as she watched.

It took a little while for Vala to answer her, but Sam was used to that by now.

“I found it in one of the story books about Ireland some time ago.  I’ve wanted to paint it on this wall all winter, but I knew the paint wouldn’t stick until it got warmer out.  In my readings about the Ute Tribe, I found how to make the paint that they used so that it would never fade completely away.  I thought that Daniel would appreciate it if I didn’t deface the mountain with regular paint.  And I wrote it away from the original paintings to preserve their integrity.”

Sam nodded her approval.  Vala stepped back and perused her handy work.  She sighed with appreciation and went to sit next to the other woman.

“It’s from the story _The Exile of the Sons of Uisliu_.  It’s an excerpt of the lament of Derdriu of the Sorrows:

 

_I loved the modest, mighty warrior,_

_loved his fitting, firm desire,_

_loved him at daybreak as he dressed_

_by the margin of the forest._

 

_Those blue eyes that melted women,_

_and menaced enemies, I loved_

_then, with our forest journey done,_

_his chanting through the dark woods.” **[1]**_

 

Vala took a long breath and said, “After the deaths of the sons of Uisliu, Derdriu was kept for a year by Conchobar.  She never gave one smile, ate enough food or sleep much, she wouldn’t even lift her head up from her knees.  She grieved so much for her love, _Naois_ , that she jumped into his grave and told them to bury her with him.”

They sat quietly for a long while, soaking in the meaning as they soaked in the sun.  Sam put her arm around Vala’s shoulder.  She felt sorry for her but didn’t know what to do to help.

* * *

 

_30 April 2009 — Earth: SGC — 11:35 hours_

 

As May approached on the heels of rainy weather, the mood on SG-1 hadn’t improved.  It was going on six months without Daniel.  He had been gone longer before, but with Vala rabbiting in her quarters, his absence was profoundly felt.  Mitchell and Sam had seen her sitting with a new scientist that had just transferred in and thought maybe— just maybe, she was starting to come out of her shell a little.  Vala began to be more integrated into their social activities.  The new guy seemed to be someone that she could relate too.  Still, her eyes were dull and lifeless without Daniel Jackson.

On the last day of April, Teal’c returned through the Stargate from Chulak after working for several weeks as a member of the Jaffa Council.

“ColonelCarter,” he smiled as she approached him on the ramp.

“Teal’c!  I’m so happy to see you.  How are things with the free Jaffa Nation?”

The big man gave her a small smile and said, “I hate politics!  I am almost ready to return to SG-1 but do not tell ColonelMitchell that.”

Sam pretended to zip her lips closed and lock them tight.  “So, not that I don’t love to see you, but what brings you to our neck of the woods?”

The colloquialisms of the Tau’ri always amused Teal’c.  As they entered Sam’s office, he closed the door.  Giving him a raised eyebrow, the blonde woman stared at him.

“Last night as I was in kelno’reem, a vision appeared to me.  A vision of DanielJackson.  I was told that I needed to return to Earth and prepare ValaMalDoran for his arrival, but that I must do this without her knowledge that he is coming home.”

“He’s coming home?!” Sam nearly screamed.

“Indeed,” the Jaffa replied. “It is important for her to be in the glen where he entered into the Otherworld, unaccompanied, tonight.  She is to wait for the sun to set and then build a bonfire in the clearing.  We may assist her in setting up a small camp, but we must depart before the evening takes hold.

“We must make sure that General Landry will order the guards away from this spot for the whole night.  There, DanielJackson will return to her.”

Teal’c smiled at the wonder that Sam’s face held.  Then she looked shrewdly at him, “And _why_ must we do this?”

“I am unsure, ColonelCarter.  That is what I was told by someone named, Ta’om.  I plan to do just as instructed.  He made it very clear that to receive DanielJackson home, it had to be ValaMalDoran waiting for him.”

Sam had heard and seen stranger things, so she let it go, “Come on, we will go and see her together.”

“First, I would like to change out of these robes and into the proper attire for this planet,” Teal’c said in his rich melodious voice.

* * *

 

_30 April 2009 — Earth: SGC — 14:05 hours_

 

When Sam and the Jaffa approached Vala, they had already formulated a plan for their little subterfuge.  Teal’c told her that she should enter a state of kelno’reem on the mountain top, where Ta’om, a being with knowledge of Daniel, was going to contact her.  She could then find out what was going on.

Cam and Teal’c set up Vala’s tent and put together the wood and stones for the bonfire.  Mitchell kept asking for more information about why they were doing this, but Teal’c would only smile at him.  On the way back to the base, Cam made sure to disable any of the video surveillance cameras that could possibly see the campsite and double-checked where the guards were posted.  As the night duty reported in, the Colonel briefed them not to go anywhere near the glen and not to investigate any disturbances.  The soldiers were not too happy about that, but as it was an order, they would comply.

As dusk approached, the three remaining members of SG-1 escorted Vala to her makeshift campsite.  Teal’c instructed her on how to get the fire going with a new gizmo they had recently procured on an earlier mission.

“I really don’t like leaving you here alone, Princess,” Cam told her in a low voice.  “Last time we had dealings with this race one of my people went missing.”

Vala huffed out a breath and glared at him, “You are telling _me_ that?”

Mitchell gave her a halfhearted grin and bow his head apologetically, “Sorry, Vala.”

“Besides, we are still on the base, what could happen here?” she asked shrewdly.

“ _What could happen here?_   Really, Vala, I thought you read all the mission reports.  Plenty happens here,” Cam replied,  “but I understand.  Just… be careful.   Please.”

It was time.  Sam gave Vala a hug and wished her luck.  She and the two men left the area.  On the way back into the mountain, Cam suggested that one of them should stay, but Teal’c would have none of that.

“We will do exactly as instructed, ColonelMitchell.”  And that was the end of that.

The night was beautiful and warm.  Vala could see quite well with the almost full moon shining so brightly.  She had her fire going and was sitting in front of the tent on an opened sleeping bag.

The air was thick with wondrous smells.  Being so far up the mountain, she could not detect any hint of civilization.  The night sounds were soothing to her and she, for the first time since this whole thing began, felt relaxed.  As the breeze played with her long hair, she thought of Daniel’s fingers combing through each strand and she smiled a small, sad smile.

She wrapped the plaid shirt she wore closer around her.  She wasn’t that cold, but it was one of Daniel’s and the smell comforted her.  Dressed in a camisole and a loose fitting skirt she was glad the fire was there to keep the slight chill away.

An owl swooped overhead, hooting dolefully, on its nightly hunt for food.  Vala sat as quiet as a grave and watched the evening animals go about their business.  She had no idea how long this whole thing would take.

After mentally checking the angry diatribe that she had for this Ta’om fella when he came to her, she readied herself for kelno’reem.  It didn’t take very long for her to reach the mental state required for the Jaffa meditation.

* * *

 

_30 April 2009 — Earth: SGC — 23:35 hours_

 

The forest was singing its ancient song as Daniel stepped away from an old hollowed tree.  He looked about him to gauge where he was.  Off to his left he could see the flickering, dancing light of a fire.

There.  There was where he must go first.

Taking a deep breath, he crouched into a hunting stance.  Adjusting the mask he wore on his face, he crept forward, as quiet as a mouse.  The breeze played with his loincloth covering.  For Daniel Jackson to be dressed as he was now was _very_ unusual way, would certainly be the fodder for many months inside the SGC if he were seen.  The loincloth, the painted markings on his bare skin, the silver torque, the mask on his face and the spear in his hand were all extremely unJackson like.

The trees gave him cover as he moved towards the firelight.  Ta’om told him he must find the one with whom he genuinely desired.  She that was his mate.

As he approached the clearing, there was a raven-haired woman sitting crossed legged beside the fire.  At first, he thought it was the Green Woman again but then noticed the milky white skin as it shown in the moonlight.  His heart raced with need, but he was not ready yet.  He had to find the stag first, the offering for Beltaine.  Ta’om had instructed him on what to do as some small, child-like fairies painted his skin with spirals and knot work.  He looked down at the elfin cat that had accompanied him and pet her.

In the quietest of voice, Daniel said, “ _Fanacht anseo, Aisling._ ” _ **[i]**_  The cat stared at him and mewed softly.

He turned away and quietly moved deeper into the forest in search of the beast he must slay.  The moon shone brightly.  Grasping the spear Ta’om had made for him, he silently padded into the wooded labyrinth.  He heard water flowing not far from where he was and he started towards it.  The stag would be near there, he was sure.

Green leaves whispered to him the song of a deer passing.  He moved the way they were telling him and saw the beast he was hunting.  White and large, the antlers were huge on its noble head.  Daniel readied himself for the attack.

With lightning speed he moved.  The stag leaped sideways and ran away, with the man hard on his tail.  Crashing through the undergrowth, Daniel moved with such grace and poise that if his friends had seen him would not believe he was the archeologist they had known for years.  The stag was quick, but Daniel was able to keep pace with it.  He drove the beast relentlessly and waited for just the right time to throw his spear.  Soon, the deer was in a small clearing, the man knew it was time to strike.

Hurtling into the opening, he released his weapon and watched as it hit squarely in the stag’s heart.  As he bent down next to the fallen animal, Daniel spoke the blessing Ta’om taught him, giving thanks for the food and clothing that the deer would provide the Tuatha.

The man pulled his spear from the prey and dipped his hand into the warm blood.  He placed the blood-stained hand to his naked chest, over his heart.  As he stood, the Lord of the Forest stepped into view with a warm smile on his green face.

“My Son,” his voice rang with the power of the woods around them, “you have done well.  This gift will be taken to the Otherworld where its life will be celebrated.  Now you must celebrate _your_ life.  Go to her.  You have earned the love of that woman.  And know that the Sidhe will always be with you.”  Taking Daniel’s spear and the stag, the Lord of the Forest was enveloped by millions of sparkling golden lights.

The stag and the Sidhe disappeared without a trace, leaving the man’s eyes dazzled by the light.  Daniel adjusted his mask and turned back to where he knew the fire burned.  As softly as snow, he approached the glen.  His body thrummed with anticipation.  The silver torque around his neck caught the moonlight and glittered playfully.

Daniel stepped into the light of the fire.  His chest heaving from the hunt and his body glistening with sweat.  He watched the raven-haired woman as she meditated.  She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.  Her skin looked like alabaster under the light of the stars and her scent was more priceless than any man-made perfume.  He padded forward and stood still above the woman.

Vala had felt before she heard that someone was with her.  She opened her eyes and a small gasp escaped her throat.  There before her stood Daniel, on his own two legs again, only not as she had _ever_ seen him before.  He was practically naked and covered with markings painted on his skin.  There was a handprint in what she thought might be blood over his heart.  He wore a mask made of fur and leaves, but his crystal blue eyes beneath shone brightly.  Eyes that she knew very well and now had a hunger that only she could quench.

Daniel dropped to his knees and prowled towards Vala.  At first, she was a little scared of the way he looked.  She had never considered him as a dominant person, but now, as he crawled up to her, she could feel her heart race.  Stopping inches from Vala’s face, Daniel cocked his head to one side, looking her deeply in the eyes.  A smile played on his lips.

“I know you…” he said hesitantly. “I remember your eyes.”

Without warning, he consumed her mouth in a searing kiss.

For the first time in her life, Vala was totally blown away by a kiss.  She was used to being the one that dismantled any thoughts a man may have had.  But now, it was her turn… and she _liked_ _it!_   When Daniel leaned back, he smiled and removed his mask.  The scar on his cheek was completely gone as if it never was.  Ever so gently, he pushed her back to lie on the sleeping bag.  Her black hair fanned out over the soft blanket.  Again, he kissed her as his hand ran up her arm and around her throat.  He began to place feather light kisses down her jaw and onto her neck, following the trail his hand was weaving ever so softly.

Then he pulled open the front of the shirt Vala wore and pushed up the soft camisole.  Her breasts spilled out as he caught an eyeful of their silky curves, made of the same alabaster skin.  Wolf-like, Daniel licked her rosy nipples.  Settling between her thighs, he continued his oral assault.

He allowed his surroundings take away his usual restraints.  He was not the ‘Golden Boy,’ the diplomat, scholar, and thinker that he had been for so long.  God, he was weary of it all.  All the fighting and killing, and for what?  One villain down, three more to take his place.

But now, now was not the time.  The Sidhe had shown him how important it was to love and be loved.  He finally knew the veritable meaning of _carpe occasio_ and planned to embrace it fully.  He buried his face in her neck, licking and biting.  His body thrummed with need.  It had been so goddamn long since he had felt this way.

Vala ran her hands up the arms that held her to his firm, tanned body.  She moved earnestly against him.  His long fingers, well used and calloused slipped between their bodies and into her skirt with ease.  She never _dreamed_ that Daniel could be this sexy and sensual.

He let his fingers explore until they found her throbbing clit, and he watched her while massaging the sensitive area.  Her head was thrown back while little sounds escaped her throat.   He watched her face as her body twitched and jerked, as if being hit with a zat blast, eliciting a moan.

Daniel smirked.  It was he that was making her feel this sound this way.  He that was able to touch the heart of this pirate princess, claiming her as his own.  Now, however, it was time for more.

He slowly made his way down, sucking her nipple into his moist mouth, his beard tickling her soft skin.  Licking across her chest and stomach, Daniel began to feel _completely_ alive for the first time in so many years.  Vala did this to him, and he had fought it for an insanely long time.  What a fucking moron!

Using powerful hands, built by many a mission, he ripped her light skirt completely off. Vala gasped, laughing, and writhing.  He moved down and spread her legs.  Daniel bent and kissed her stomach, then dipped his tongue into her navel.  He didn’t stay long there, he had a goal. She was surprised when a soft, wet presence began to stimulate her labia and clit and Vala pulled in a sharp breath.  She pulled on his silky brown hair as his brilliant tongue gave itself to her enjoyment.

She opened her legs wider and he knew what she wanted.  Running one hand up to capture a breast, he squeezed it softly before returning to taste her sweetness.  She was squirming and moaning at the onslaught of sensations Daniel was generating. His tongue found every spot that gave her pleasure and relentlessly attacked it.  When she was on the verge of losing control, he knew that nothing in the universe would ever be as perfect as this moment.

“OH, MY GOD, DANIEL!” Vala exclaimed.

 _Perfect._   As the sound echoed in his heart, he slid two long fingers inside her.  She felt incredible.  He could feel her walls contract.  Her orgasm shivered through her and into Daniel.  Deeply inhaling the scent of her arousal, it was time for them to complete one another.

He sat up and gave her a predatory grin.  Vala reached for the strip of cloth that covered his massive erection and tore it off, pulling him back down on top of her.  Vala began to lick his neck, sucking on the racing pulse there.  The nerves became inflamed by her not-so-gentle nibbling.  Daniel consumed her with another kiss.  He ran his hands down her legs pushing them up, their silkiness exciting him.

Daniel slithered up Vala’s body, her legs draped over his shoulders.  He stared into her eyes— they were like a drug coursing through him.  He felt explosions in his mind.  It was the breaking point.  Realizing his cock was throbbing in need, he began to pant as he pushed his hips forward sliding smoothly inside of her.  She was wet… hot… tight!

“VALA!” Daniel called out.

She saw that his eyes were almost completely black, the ring of blue only a thin edge.  She ran her hands along his toned and muscular back and held on for dear life as he made the most passionate love she ever had.  Slowly, then faster… with their movements the dam broke.  All the emotions he had locked away to thwart her advances detonated, and were gone.  The pleasure was astounding as he worked her, higher and higher.  Faster… and harder.

Vala trembled in ecstasy.  She could feel the life of every living thing in the forest as his love consumed her.  Her body and mind were throbbing as she held him fiercely, the pleasure washing over her in increasingly intense waves as their bodies moved in unison.  The night breeze rushed over sweat soaked bodies and the stars above began to burst.  She was now truly a part of him, and he of her, never again would they be separated.  Whole and complete.

She screamed, “DANIEL… oh god… oh god… don’t stop…”

“Never…” Daniel grunted.  He could see worlds colliding behind her eyes.  The feeling of melting… of fission… of total abandonment.

“VALA!!”

“DANIEL!!”

They cried out each other’s names as one as they climaxed together.  Daniel’s arms shook as he lost control of himself and thrust one last time, feeling the shudder and the burn everywhere.  Vala was trembling, her insides clenching, milking his member for all of his seed.  She could feel him quiver and spill.  She held on until the last of tides quieted, then accepted Daniel’s body as he collapsed onto her.  They were both panting, jolts of aftershocks rocking them.  He pulled from her reluctantly and rolled over, cradling her to his chest.  Vala willingly snuggled close to him as he pulled the sleeping bag over their cooling bodies.

Looking at the night sky, Daniel saw tiny flickers of light dancing above them.  They played and darted this way and that.  Soft, haunting music was carried on the wind.  He knew it to be some of the fairy folk and he smiled sadly.  He would never be able to share with Vala about his time in Tir Na n’Óg.  He fingered the torque around his neck and whispered thanks for his return.  At his feet, he could feel his familiar curl up, her purring tickling his feet.

“ _Is breá liom tú **[ii]**,_ Vala,” he said with all the sincerity he could.  He needed to make sure she knew this one truth… if nothing else.

She may not have known the language, but she knew the meaning.  “I love you too… my Daniel,” she echoed.  And he knew that it was absolutely genuine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] The Story of Derdriu of the Sorrows,  
> https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0204&L=old-irish-l&T=0&F=&S=&P=8442
> 
> [i] Fanacht anseo - Stay here
> 
> [ii] Is breá liom tú - I love you


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

_01 May 2009 — Earth: SGC — 05:55 hours_

 

As day broke over the forest, birdsong stirred the sleeping couple.  Daniel squeezed Vala close to him.  Inhaling her scent, he kissed the top of her head.  She ran her fingers gently over his chest.

“Good morning, Moswen,” her voice, dark and delicious, like honey.

“Mmmm… morning, my love,” he whispered.  “I came back, just like I promised.”

He could feel her nod her head, “You were gone a long time.”

Daniel creased his eyebrows together.  A long time?

“What do you mean?” he asked, “It was only a couple days.”

Vala got up on her elbow and looked him in the eye.  The smile she gave him was sad and at the same time so happy.  “I’ve studied the Sidhe quite a lot while you were gone, darling.  In the Otherworld, time moves at a different speed.  You were gone for six months.”

He thought about his time with the Sidhe and then it made sense.  He remembered that Beltaine was in May and he had left in October… on Samhain.  The shock was evident on his face, and then the sorrow.

“Oh, _mo ghrá_.  I’m so sorry.  To me— it really was only a few days.”

She kissed him deeply to let him know that all was forgiven.  She had him now and that was what mattered most.  “Daniel… what does _mo ghrá_ mean?”

“It’s Irish for, _my love_.  Seems I’ve picked up a new language,” he smiled at her.

Just then, a black as pitch cat jumped between them.  Vala let out a startled scream.

“Good morning to you too, Aisling,” Daniel smiled at the cat, petting the velvety head.  Vala looked at him incredulously.

“Vala,” he said in an air of introduction, “this is Aisling.  Aisling, this— is my Vala.”

The cat meowed at the woman and began to rub against her lovingly.  Daniel beamed at the feline, “I guess you approve of her?”

A meow and that was settled.

He turned his focus back to his love, traced a finger down her cheek and smiled, “You’re the most beautiful woman in all the universe.”

She actually blushed, “And you’re full of fairy dust.”

They came together for a kiss and soon felt their blood begin to boil.  Knowing that the rest of the team would come out looking for her, she had to put a stop to what was undoubtedly coming.

“The others could be here at any time.  I don’t think your new found sexual bravado will encompass giving them a show.”

He closed his eyes and frowned, “You’re right.  We will just have to get away from here as soon as we can because I have waited too long to love you!  And I want to make it up with lots of sex.  Long and drawn-out… fast and furious, in every room of my apartment.  I have so much to make up for, Vala.  And you are so worth it!”

“Daniel, you are incorrigible!”

As he kissed her yet again, they heard the unmistakable sounds of boots snapping twigs and crushing leaves.  He wouldn’t let her go though.  The others were just going to have to see them.

“Oh—my—god!” Mitchell’s voice rang out, “Get a room, people!”

Daniel and Vala laughed.  Nothing could diminish their feelings, not now— not ever.  They looked around and saw who they expected to see, Cam, Sam, and Teal’c.

“The forest is my room,” Daniel declared waving an arm around him, “the wind my air-conditioning. The sky my roof and the leaf my bed.  Wanna make something of it?”

“Great, he’s waxing poetic.  Just what we needed,” the colonel said with mock annoyance to Sam.

“It is good to see you, DanielJackson, whole and healthy,” Teal’c beamed at him. “We were expecting you.”

Vala looked confused, “Muscles, I thought you said that I was going to be _contacted_ by the fairy folk, not that Daniel was coming home.”

Teal’c just grinned, “There will be time to talk soon.  We will leave you both to get dressed.”

Sam stepped forward with a huge smile and dropped a uniform and his glasses beside them.  She giggled, “I kinda thought you might need these.  Welcome back, Daniel!”

The prodigal son sat up, making sure both he and Vala were sufficiently covered, “How’d you guys know I’d be back?  And why did you think I’d need clothes?”

“Come on, Daniel,” Sam said with a laugh, “every time you disappear you seem to show up naked.”

Everyone but the man in question laughed.

“Well, hurry up you two, _The Old Man_ will want you to go to the infirmary first, of course.  Don’t take too long, cause I get the feeling this is gonna be one hell of a debrief,” Mitchell said.

Daniel had a pang of regret.  He was not going to be able to tell them much, as he was sworn to secrecy.

The Jaffa turned and shooed his teammates away from the campsite.  Aisling knew it was time for a hasty retreat to hunt for food as Daniel turned to Vala with a dangerous smile.  Taking her face in his hand, he leaned in and kissed her.  At first, it was gentle but quickly grew.  Her free hand skittered down his chest and wrapped around his already growing cock.  She knew what she wanted to do and broke the kiss with a small ‘pop’.

Daniel’s eyes were dark again.  She could see the desire ignite in them.  Pushing him onto his back, she scooted down his body, leaving a trail of wet kisses, and then she came to her goal.  Without even a warning lick, she devoured his shaft whole.

“Oh my, god!  Vala…” he yelped.

She was very talented with her tongue.  She sucked the head into her mouth, teasing the slit with small licks and then nipping at the underside where the nerves bunched together so close to the surface.  She worked him relentlessly, taking great pleasure in the noises he was making.  She glanced up and saw that he was fisting the blankets ruthlessly, a look of utter joy on his face.  Daniel gave himself over to fucking Vala’s mouth with enthusiasm, only her hands on his hips restrained his eagerness.

Daniel’s hard cock felt incredible as it drove smoothly over her tongue… again and again.  His coarse hair teased her nose and the smell of him filled her senses, reducing her world to this one indescribable moment.

It was no time at all before he had to have her beneath him.  With the speed of a well trained warrior, Daniel swept up and flipped her on her back.  He was between Vala’s legs and quickly sliding inside her.  His plan was to take her to the edge and then ease back to prolong the intensity, but _he_ just could not hold back.  Daniel began pumping as if the world was about to end and he had to make every thrust count.  The train was out of control as he drove in and out, almost savagely.  Vala didn’t mind.  In fact, she was having her brain blown in the most wonderful way.

The climax consumed them both at once, and they shouted their completion, clinging to one another for dear life.  Breathing hard, Daniel looked into Vala’s sex darkened eyes.  He saw the love and the future within them.  Leaning in, he kissed her passionately.  He never wanted this feeling to end.  Slowly he eased out of her but didn’t let her up quite yet.

“I love you, Vala Mal Doran.  And I never want to be without you.”

His words were filled with such enormity that she could feel the weight of them.  Taking his bearded face in her hands and smiled.

“You never will be again, Daniel Jackson,” she said and kissed him deeply.

* * *

 

_01 May 2009 — Earth: SGC — 07:30 hours_

 

Daniel sat on a bed in the infirmary with a thermometer in his mouth and a cat by his side.  He was giving Dr. Lam an evil eye.  It wasn’t enough that she had poked and prodded just about everywhere in his body, she now wanted to do a bunch of other tests as well.  And she didn’t approve of animals being in the medical wing.  Daniel just smiled and told her that the cat was part of the package now, and to get used to it.

“You can stop looking at me like that, Dr. Jackson.  I’m under orders.  General Landry wants to make sure you are indeed you and that you are all clear of any and all ailments.”

“Whatever,” he grumped at her around the thermometer.

“I noticed that your appendix scare is gone,” she mentioned in a voice laced with concern.

Daniel just shrugged, “Part of the healing I suppose.  Funny that they didn’t fix my eyes, but— I kinda like my glasses.  Bet they knew that.”

She nodded and marked the information on her chart.  Daniel looked at the bundle of papers she was holding ruefully.  His chart was by far one of the largest in the SGC.

His uniform felt itchy and uncomfortable.  It didn’t help that Sam— he wasn’t entirely sure if it was by accident— forgot to bring him any underwear.  He thought forlornly about the soft breeches and shirt he wore only yesterday.  He was startled when he felt the hands on his neck.  One of the nurses was trying to take the torque off.

“No!” he said firmly and pushed her hand away.

“I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t have any metal on when you go through the MRI,” she explained nicely.

Daniel shook his head, “No, I can never take this off.  MRI or no, this will NOT leave its place around my neck.”

The nurse turned to Dr. Lam with a surprised look.  The doctor nodded her head and turned to Daniel.

“Daniel,” she started in that infuriating voice she sometimes used on her more stubborn patient.  “We have to do an MRI… the General’s order.  You have to take it off.”

He looked her square in the eye, “No, Carolyn, I will not and you can’t make me.  I wish I could tell you why, but I can’t.  You’re just going to have to trust me with this.  It can never come off me, ever!  Please make a note in my file of this too.  It could mean my life.”

The young doctor stared at him for a moment, then acquiesced, “I’ll inform all of my staff and General Landry too.  You are not military, so I don’t think he can compel you.  I’d like for Colonel Carter to take a look at it however.  See if she could tell us what kind of metal it is and whether or not we _can_ put it through the MRI if we needed too.”

Daniel agreed to that.

Having done everything she could, Dr. Lam released Daniel with the order to see Sam A-sap.  As he walked down the corridors, Aisling in tow, people that had worked at the SGC for some time nodded their hellos to him and some asked to pet the cat.  The newer personnel looked at him with awe.  He guessed that was only natural.  They had known he disappeared last October, without legs.  It still made him uncomfortable.  Reaching Sam’s office was a relief.  He knocked on the doorjamb.  She looked up with a broad grin.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” he responded and walked in, “Ah… Dr. Lam wanted you to find out what this is made of,” he pulled the collar of his shirt away to let her see the torque, “and thanks for the underwear, by the way,” he snarked at her.

Grinning, she shrugged, “Oops.  Why don’t you take it off and we’ll…”

“I can’t,” he quietly interrupted her.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

“It’s— complicated,” Daniel answered her unasked question.

“Oh… okay.”

Aisling jumped onto her desk startling her.

“Sam, Aisling. Aisling, Sam”

Carter smiled and pet the cat’s head a moment, “Another thing from the Land of Youth?”

“She is my familiar.  She goes where I go.  Don’t think I could get very far without her,” he said with a wave to the cat.  “Not quite sure how to let Landry know about this.  I was kinda surprised she made it through security.  Guess they just didn’t notice.”

Smiling, Carter pointed to a stool beside her desk and walked around him, investigating the torque.

“Daniel, how did you get this on in the first place?  There doesn’t seem to be any latch or clasp and it’s not pliable.  The opening in the front is too small for it to just slip on…”

He shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know, Sam.  The woman that put it on me had no trouble in doing so.”

She grabbed an instrument Daniel didn’t recognize and passed it over the torque.  They waited for a moment.  It beeped and she went to her computer.  Her eyes grew wide.

“Um… Daniel, you got this from the Tuatha?”

He looked at her over the top of his glasses with a face that told her… _you really need to ask?_

She gave him a half-hearted smile and looked back at the computer, “Well…” she cleared her throat, “it’s pure naquadah.”

Now it was Daniel’s turn to look shocked.  “Naquadah?  Are… are you sure?” he asked as he stood behind his friend to see the computer.

She pointed to the screen as she nodded, “Yeah, I’m positive.  _They_ gave it to you?”

He nodded unconsciously, “Ah… I really can’t tell you too much.  The Sidhe have very strict rules about gifts.”

Sam smirked at him, “You didn’t seem to have a hard time breaking the rules of the Ascended as I remember.”

“Yeah, well, you know what happened there.  The Sidhe punishment is far worse.”

“Worse than you showing up butt naked in a field on another planet with no memory of who you were?” she asked with a grin.

Daniel opened his mouth to retort, when Vala came running into the room— pissed.  Pausing a moment, she saw the reason for her anger.  She rushed over and began to pummel Daniel’s chest, letting out a long stream of barely understandable Goa’uld curses.  When her fury waned she wilted into Daniel’s arms, clinging tightly to him and let out a strangled sob.

“Hey, hey… hey…,” he soothed, “Vala… love… what’s wrong?”

“I went to the infirmary and you weren’t there.  So I figured you had gone to your office.  You weren’t there either.  I thought… I thought…”

“You thought last night was a dream and that I hadn’t really come home… right?” he finished for her.

“Or that perhaps they had taken you back…  And then I was angry thinking that you would want to go back…” Clutching him so firmly that he almost couldn’t breathe, she nested into his shoulder.  Stroking her hair, he rocked as he held her tightly in his arms, quietly shushing.  Sam made a hasty retreat, closing the door behind her.

“I’m here, Vala… I’m really here.  Feel my breath on your neck.  Feel my heart beating with yours, _mo ghrá_.  As much as I loved Tir Na n’Óg, I never want to be without you.”

She began to settle down but would not letting him go.  Leaning back to look her in the eyes, Daniel wiped away a stray tear with his thumb.  He kissed her eyes and then the tip of her nose.

“I won’t leave again, Vala.  At least not by choice,” he whispered and took her mouth in a soft kiss.

She kissed him forcefully, wanting to claim him as her own.  To make it perfectly clear to the Sidhe, that Vala Mal Doran, former host, former space pirate and now SG-1 member, will not let him go without a fight.

When she was sure, at least in her own head, that they got the message, she pulled away slightly.  Brushing her hair back off her face, Daniel smiled.

“I can’t speak about what happened in Tir Na n’Óg , but I can say that it was _you_ who called me back.  It was your face that I saw and _knew_ I had to come home.”

With a bright smile, she looked deeply into his crystalline blue eyes, running her hand across his bearded cheek, “I kinda miss the scar.”

Daniel laughed.

Vala then turned to the cat sitting on Carter’s desk, “And you!” she said in a sharp tone, “you make sure the Tuatha know that they can’t have him back… got it?!”

Aisling meowed and swished her tail.  Vala took that as understanding and gave a curt nod to her.

* * *

 

_01 May 2009 — Earth: SGC — 13:20 hours_

 

After a quick phone call Daniel found out that Jack was incommunicado for the next week and told his secretary that he would call back and there was no message.  Then Daniel accompanied Vala to Landry’s office.  The older man looked up and waved them in.

“It’s great to see you, Dr. Jackson.”

“Thank you, sir, it’s good to be back,” he replied politely.  Both he and Vala sat down opposite of Landry.

Just then, Aisling jumped onto Daniel’s lap.  The General blinked in amazement.  Without missing a beat, he asked, “New recruit?”

Daniel thought about what to say as he stroked the purring cat, “She came back with me.  She is my familiar.  I’m not sure exactly what purpose she has yet, but I know that she’ll follow me everywhere.  I guess she is the link to Tir Na n’Óg— so they can keep track of me.”

“I see...,” Hank said in a voice that held many more questions about this new discovery.  “Is there something else I can do for you?”

Daniel looked down for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts, “Yes, sir.  When I get the all-clear from medical, I was wondering if I will be back on SG-1.”

“I don’t see why not if that is where you want to be,” the General answered.

Clearing his throat, Daniel glanced at Vala, “And Vala, too?”

Again, the General nodded, “Is this going somewhere that I really don’t _want_ know about, Dr. Jackson?”

Daniel cleared his throat again, “Ah… yeah— I think so,” he paused.  Vala reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze.  “Well, sir… Vala and I are kinda in a relationship now.  And I mean, just now.  As in today,” he sounded lame even to himself.  Some linguist.

The General raised his eyebrows with an amused look on his face, “Oh?”

“Yeah, and we wanted to make sure it’s going to be okay to be on the same team,” Vala finished.

Landry picked up some folders and tapped them on his desk.  With a smile, he looked at the couple,  “Well, considering I was under the impression that you two already _were_ in a relationship, I don’t see any reason to change things now.  Neither of you are in the military, so the regs don’t apply to you.”

The older man had to laugh at the twin looks of surprise on their faces.

“You… you thought we already were, um… together?” Daniel asked.

“Well, Vala is usually within arm’s reach of you and with the bickering and sniping that goes on with you two, it just sort of screamed _relationship_ to me.  Glad to see that you both finally figured it out, though.  It’s been a long time in coming.” he said with a knowing smile.  “I’m not sure about the cat being on the team, however.  If she follows you everywhere, I will not be held responsible for her well-being.  And neither will my officers.”

The archeologist nodded and pet his new appendage warmly under her chin.

“Was there anything else you needed?”

Daniel looked startled for a moment, then clarity hit him, “Um… yes, I know that you’ll want to know what happened in the Otherworld, but I can’t tell you.  They have strict rules protecting their secrecy.  And, believe me, they’ll find out if I’ve spoke about them,” he indicated Aisling again.

“I understand.  However, we still need you to file a report to sort out your six-month leave.  Just include what you are able.  Also, Dr. Lam mentioned some kind of necklace…”

“Yes, I’ve already told her about this… the torque,” he pulled his collar away to show the silver ornament, “That it can never come off of me, no matter what.  There is a stiff… ah, the penalty is harsh if it does.  I’ve had Sam check it out and it’s made of naquadah.  She was pretty sure that it could go into an MRI if need be.”

The gentleman thought for a moment.  “Well, I don’t really like that it could harm you if it came off, but as far as I’m concerned, we will treat it as if it were dog-tags.  But out in the field, I’m afraid…”

“I’ll make sure it stays on, General,” Vala interrupted, “believe me, I don’t want to lose him again!”

Aisling meowed loudly as if to reaffirm Vala’s statement.

Nodding his head and with a wry smile, Landry stood.  “Very well.  And since you are both here, I think I’ll call your teammates and we’ll have a quick meeting.”

They all went into the briefing room and waited for the rest to join them.  When all were present, the General looked at each member of his flag-ship team.

“This is an image that I really wish to keep for some time: the five of you whole, healthy and together.  I’m not going to tax Dr. Jackson with a lot of questions that I know he can’t answer, so I’m forgoing a regular debrief and getting right to the good stuff.  I’m giving SG-1 two weeks stand-down.  Go.  Go and be with family, friends, and loved ones.  When you get back, we’ll have work to do.  Teal’c, I’m told by a little bird that your work in politics has been rather tedious.  Am I correct?”

Teal’c looked at Carter and she grinned at him, “You told me not to tell Cam.  You didn’t say anything about the General.”

He inclined his head… it was true.  There was no denying it.

Cam however, gave him a hurt look, “Ouch, Teal’c… you wound me.”

“I am willing to rejoin SG-1, sir.  As Bra’tac once said, _it is the soldiers that get things done, as the politicians sit on their collective ass._ ”

Everyone laughed.

“Too true, son.  Too true!” Landry concurred.  “I also assume you all have been introduced to Dr. Jackson’s furry shadow?”

Cam’s eyebrows rose in question.  Teal’c, who had noticed the cat when they were up on mountain to greet Daniel, inclined his head slightly.

The General waved a hand at Daniel, indicating for him to continue with the story.

“Um… yeah…” Daniel reached under the table and produced Aisling, placing her on the table.  “This is Aisling.  She is my familiar, ah… companion, and I think— I believe… that she will be with me where ever I go.  If this becomes a problem, I will… I don’t know.  I guess, I’ll ask her to stay here.”

The cat blinked at him and shook her head with an air of certainty that that would not be happening.

Cam laughed.  “Outstanding!” he clapped his hands together, “We have a mascot!  Welcome to the team, Aisling,” he said and held out his hand.  Smiling her feline smile, she walked across the table and rubbed her back against his offered hand.

Rolling his eyes at this now _six_ -member team, General Landry dismissed them.

They left to go about their business and to close up anything they were doing before they went home.  Sam had suggested to meet later that day, but the dark haired woman put a stop to that idea with a withering look.  They agreed to get together at O’Malley’s in one week.  It would be good to have a team night since it had been so long that the whole _band_ got together.

Two weeks.

Vala had practically bounced all the way to Daniel’s office.  “Vala, you look rather pleased,” he said with a chuckle.

“I get two whole weeks away from the mountain _and_ with my Daniel!  I can’t think of anything better in the whole world! she exclaimed.

Daniel gave her a dimpled smile, excitement sparkling in his eyes.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

_01 May 2009 — Earth — 15:00 hours_

 

The door to Daniel’s apartment was barely closed before he had his hands in Vala’s blouse, their lips seemingly glued together.  The passion was all-consuming and could not be ignored.

Clothes littered the floor from the front door to the living room.  Vala pushed Daniel onto the couch and attacked his chest.  Sucking on a nipple, she ravaged it hotly.  Her hand slid his boxer-briefs down and he soon began writhing under her.

Pulling her head up, he consumed her lips again.  He just couldn’t get close enough to her.  He was hard and ready.  Vala stood up to remove her panties and then she was straddling him in an instant.  Without so much as a by your leave, she impaled herself on his shaft with a scream.

She rode him hard.  Now was not the time for gentle seduction… it was time for conquest.  And Vala indeed conquered him.  The exquisite sensations sending him to the very height of ecstasy was a ride that Daniel never had in his life.  Now he wasn’t sure he ever actually lived.

This wild, untamed woman that scared him so much was now the only one to whom he felt truly connected.  He had loved Sha’re deeply and making love to her had been wonderful, but this was something beyond that.  Sex with Vala was exciting and fresh, tapping a deep part of his being that he had always purposely ignored.  He had never let his baser instinct rule his thinking, yet, this was also a part of him he should not deny.  As this extraordinary woman moved up and down on him in a frantic rhythm, he realized that this was something he needed.  Wanted.  And desired.  His fingers pressed hard into her hips as he kept her centered on him, which was the only cognitive thought he could maintain.  That and reaching their climax together.  When the orgasm hit them, they collapsed into each other’s arms, riding out the last shivers of the explosion.

 _Next time,_ Daniel thought, _next time we will go slowly… maybe…_

Holding her close, he soaked in the feel of her weight on him.  She was so light in his arms, a feather of exceptional beauty.  And she was all his.  He loved the smell of sex that now graced his apartment for the first time ever.  As he slowly softened inside of her, he whispered his love in as many languages he could.

Vala traced soft fingers across his pecks.  She loved being in his arms, feeling his chest rise and fall with his breathing.  He was warm, whole… and now she belonged with him, mind, body, and soul.  His body complimented hers as if they were made to fit together.  Two puzzle pieces that never entirely fit anywhere else.

She looked up and smiled.  Daniel had fallen asleep, while idly stroking her hair.  The afternoon sun blazed through the window and glittered in Vala’s eyes, drawing her attention to the silver collar around his neck.  She reached out and gently touched the ornament.

With a thief’s eye, Vala began to investigate it carefully, tracing the knot work and ivy delicately carved on it.  Surprised, she noticed that it was warm and it hummed ever so slightly.  Her interest was drawn to the blue stones.  They were beautiful and something that, in a former life, she would’ve liberated from him.

Even now, her mouth watered just thinking about what she could get for them.  Daniel said he couldn’t take the thing off, but he didn’t say anything about removing the gems.

An admonishing mew called her attention to Daniel’s familiar.  She eyed the cat with interest,  “Don’t worry… I don’t do that anymore.  At least with these people,” she added with a smile.

Vala shook her head— that life was over for her.  She had someone she loved completely and never wanted to hurt him with her old tendencies.  As she studied the stones, she saw that they were the exact color of his eyes.  They sparkled and shone just as his eyes did when he was happy.  She hadn’t seen much evidence of enjoyment in the months before he went to the Otherworld.  As she played with the torque, Daniel woke up and watched her with a slight grin.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said with a husky voice.  Vala smiled at him and his heart jumped.

“We’re kinda sticky,” she purred in his ear.

“Yeah, I guess we are,” he agreed as he laughed and kissed her nose.  “We should get up and take a shower, maybe get something to eat and then— go to bed.”

Vala loved the plan.

“Um… Daniel, darling,” Vala said with amusement in her voice, “will, Aisling be joining us in the shower?”

Daniel rolled his eyes and looked back to where the black cat lay on the back of the sofa.

“Stay,” he told her, not entirely sure that would work.  Aisling yawned at him and stretched out in a ray of sunshine.  With a smile, he turned to Vala, waved his hand towards the bathroom, sure that they would not be graced with the feline.

* * *

 

_01 May 2009 — Earth — 20:40 hours_

 

Sitting at the kitchen table in Daniel’s blue terry-cloth robe, Vala watched him.  He was going to fix her a meal but then remembered that he hadn’t been home for six months.  He was actually scared to open the refrigerator.  So he called for Thai food to be delivered with a small side dish of chicken for the cat.

They sat in a comfortable peace while eating, talking about nothing important and stealing heated glances every so often.  They were always touching somewhere, a hand, a foot, a knee, hating to be out of contact for more than a few minutes.  Aisling was sitting on the table savoring her chicken.  He had to remember to get cat food and a litter box, although Aisling seemed happy using the toilette.  Would she prefer a litter box?  He never had a pet before.  This was all new to him.  He smiled affectionately at his new companion and casually stroked the warm, soft fur.  When dinner was finished and leftovers put away, Daniel led Vala by the hand to his bedroom.

This time, Daniel was patient, exploring Vala with the care that years of archeology had honed.  He wanted to know every place that made her purr with delight.  Moving down between her legs, he gently spread her folds.  She was so moist already.  With a smirk, he went to work with his tongue.  Taking wide, slow licks over her clit, he had her bucking in response.  Enjoying the sounds she was making, he began to fuck her with his tongue.  He was having fun making her twitch and moan.  Inserting two fingers, Daniel continued to slowly pleasure his lover, feeling her climax with a shiver.  Women were lucky— they could have multiple orgasms with no real recover time.  He wished he could’ve kept it up for hours, but his body wasn’t playing along.

As he kissed and nuzzled his way up to her breast, he began to pull slowly on his dick, just hard enough to keep it this side of throbbing in need.  He could tell that Vala was completely into what he was doing to her.  Her soft moans made his blood rage.  Eyes dilated with passion, he made his way up to capture her mouth.

His body began vibrate with need now.  Vala felt him shudder and decided to turn the tables, trailing her fingers down his chest, leaving chills that burned.  Starting with his lips, Vala licked and nipped a path down to his neck.  She paid particular attention to the soft spot just under his Adam’s apple.  He whimpered in total bliss.

Daniel dropped his hands to her ass, squeezing the round globes gently as she continued to feast on his throat.  Vala proceeded southward, taking in his nipple she sucked and bit the hard point.  He knew he wasn’t going to last much longer.  He needed to be inside her, loving her, showing her how much he desired her.

Rolling her under him, Daniel settled between her legs.  Vala reached her arms around him drawing him closer.  He effortlessly slid inside her— slowly… he was in control for the moment.

Setting a deliberate pace, the restored man made quiet love to his girlfriend for the first time.  He was determined to make it last.  Daniel continued his leisurely tempo, driving Vala insane.  She bucked under him, trying to coax him to go faster.  Leaning down to consume her lips, he echoed each thrust with his tongue.  But he couldn’t keep the slow pace for very long; he needed more friction as well.  Their climax rolled over them in waves as they clung to one another, making sure that neither was left behind.  Together they cried out in pure delight.

If they got out of Daniel’s apartment in the next two weeks, it would be a miracle.

* * *

 

_02 May 2009 — Earth  — 12:10 hours_

Vala and Daniel did make it out after the leftovers were gone.  He felt like a schoolboy walking hand in hand with his girlfriend through the grocery store.  He just couldn’t keep the silly grin off his face, he was so happy.  After getting all the essentials, they made their way to the pet aisle.  Vala picked out a pink collar with little skull and crossbones on it.  Daniel smirked at her when she showed it to him.  It fit, however, and they got it.  He wasn’t entirely sure how he was going to do his household shopping with Aisling trailing after him like his shadow, as she had done ever since she claimed him.  But, when they started out the door, he looked back to see that Aisling was perfectly content at lounging in the sun.

When the couple pulled into Daniel’s apartment parking lot, they saw Sam waiting by her motorcycle.

“Hey, guys,” she greeted them as she pulled a package out of her backpack and handed it to Daniel.  “I was thinking, and well… I got this for you.  Well— actually, it’s for Aisling.”

Taking the gift, Daniel eyed her suspiciously.  As he opened it, Sam explained, “It’s good to know people in high places.  Usually it would take a long time to get the _creds_ for this.”

Daniel pulled out some documentations and started reading.  It was for a PTSD companion animal and had Aisling’s name on it.  There was also a red vest that had a patch proclaiming her to be a PTSD service animal, and would allow her to enter any establishment with him.

Smiling, Daniel hugged his friend, “Thanks, Sam.  Not too sure about the PTSD part though,” he laughed.

“It was the only way I could get this pushed through.  Besides, if anyone at the SGC has a right to the term of PTSD, it’s you.”

“What’s PTSD?” Vala asked as she looked at the vest.

“It means, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Daniel answered absentmindedly.

“It’s a mental ailment that many people suffer from if they’ve had something horrible happen to them.  A lot of soldiers have the disorder because of things that happened in battle.  With Daniel… I’m sure he has it and is just not letting anyone know how hurt in the head he really is.”

With a wounded pout, Daniel hit her on the arm lightly, “I expect that from Jack, not you!” he whined.

Vala and Samantha laughed.

* * *

 

_05 May 2009 — Earth — 09:30 hours_

 

On the fourth day of their time off, Daniel took Vala and Aisling— dressed in her new vest and draped across his shoulders like a scarf— to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.  Vala had never been to a place like that and was fascinated by everything they saw.  Daniel amazed her with all his knowledge and even had a few other people stay to listen to him explain in detail about one exhibit or another.

When they were about to leave the Egyptian exhibit, an elderly couple of about 70 stopped them.  The woman put $50.00 in Daniel’s hand.

“Mark and I have been coming to this museum for twenty years.  This was the first time we understood just what it would have been like in ancient Egypt.  It was almost as if you lived that life.  You, my boy, have a real gift.”

Daniel was turning red and tried to give the money back to her.  She folded his fingers around the cash with a smile, “No, son.  Take your beautiful lady to dinner— on Mark and me.  You make such a lovely couple.”

“Thank you… erm…”

“Martha, dear boy.  Mark and Martha.”

Vala couldn’t restrain herself, she just had to ask, “How long have you been together, Martha?”

“Fifty years, dear.  Not all happily, but always together.  We have three children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.”

Vala was the picture of shock.  Fifty years— with one person?  Then she turned to look at Daniel, still talking with Mark, and realized that fifty years was doable.  Especially with Daniel.

After the museum, Daniel took Vala out for a nice dinner, a real date.  It was still amazing to him that no one commented about the cat.  Her vest seemed to be the key for every door.  They sat and talked about everything as if they were the most ordinary family in the world.  It was one of the best days either of them ever had.

* * *

 

_12 May 2009 — Earth — 18:45 hours_

 

The couple’s first week off went by much too fast for Vala’s liking.  They were getting ready to join the rest of the team at O’Malley’s.  Daniel was thumbing through a book he had bought at the museum, absently petting Aisling while he waited for Vala to get ready.  Over the last week, he realized that the cat seemed to know when she needed to be with them and when it was okay to let them be.  He wondered if she would be going through the ‘gate with the team.  Maybe not… which he was sure would make Landry a mite happier.  And he wouldn’t have to worry about losing her on another planet.

When Vala appeared in the living room, Daniel’s mouth dropped open and the book fell to the floor with a soft _thump_.  She was in a red, slinky, satin dress with matching heels.  Her hair was pulled up and back showing off her deliciously long neck.  The dress accentuated all her assets extremely well and Daniel could not stop staring.  She waited for him to say something, but he was utterly lost at the sight of her.

“Daniel…,” Vala said with a smile.  She loved that she could render him speechless.  “Darling, we need to go or we’ll be late.”

“Ah… um…,” he was trying to kick his brain back into gear.  “Yeah… right.  Um… let’s go then.”

It didn’t escape Vala that his loose fitting slacks were no longer _very_ _loose_ in the front and grinned.

Holding the door open for Vala, Daniel looked back and said, “We’ll be home later, Aisling.  Hold the fort for us.”

The cat meowed in answer.

They got to O’Malley’s at the same time as Sam and her date rode up on two very loud Harley’s.  Daniel was a little surprised.  He thought she was still pining for Jack.  He was a nice looking man with an athletic quality.  His hair was sun-bleached which told him that he spent a lot of time outside.  She introduced the newbie as Tim Grady and told Daniel he had started at the SGC a few months ago, working with Dr. Lee.

“I’m working on my doctorate and Dr. Lee offered to be my mentor.  I’m quite interested in talking with you also, Dr. Jackson.  I’m ashamed to say I was really disappointed that you were in the field when I first started,” Tim said as he shook hands with Daniel.

The linguist liked the man immediately.  He had a quality about him, “I’d be happy to, Tim.  Anytime.  I’ll be back to work next week, maybe we could grab some lunch in the mess hall.”

“That would be great!” he said enthusiastically, then turned to Vala with a warm smile, “Hey, Vala. Missed seeing you around this week.”

When Tim gave Vala a kiss on the cheek, Daniel felt something awaken inside of him.  A growling, angry beast that had been dormant for many years.  Sam caught the look in his eye and ushered Tim inside.  Vala took Daniel’s arm and followed.  She hadn’t seen what the other woman did.

Mitchell showed up shortly after with the woman that Vala recognized from her and Cam’s ill-fated high school reunion in Kansas a few years back.  She wasn’t very tall but definitely looked fit and wore her blonde hair in a style that screamed _easy to care for_.  She didn’t seem out of place at all.  In fact, she seemed rather comfortable on Cam’s arm.

“This is Amy Vandenberg,” Mitchell introduced her to Daniel and Sam; “I’ve known her since high school.  We’ve been seeing each other for about a year now.  Thought it was time to have her meet the band.”

Daniel grasped her hand with a smile, “I believe I did see you at the very end of the evening.  You might not remember.”

“Oh, I remember alright! The best damn reunion I’ve ever been too!  Little scary.  You guys need to come to our next one though,” she laughed.

They went into the bar for drinks while they waited for the last member of the team to show.

“I called to see if he wanted me to come and get him, but he said no,” Cam explained.

Just then, Teal’c walked in with, to the astonishment of his teammates, the beautiful Hak’tyl leader Ishta.  She was tall and had golden skin.  Her long blonde hair, braided in some places, hung loosely down her back and make-up covered the tattoo on her forehead that all Jaffa wore.

As all were present, they took their seats at the table in a room at the back of the restaurant.  The conversation was light and the camaraderie insightful.  It felt to all the SG-1 members as if they were simple working stiffs, out having a good time.  None of them felt the weight of planetary defense on their shoulders.

As for the non-members of SG-1, they could tell just how close the five of them were.  Amy actually felt honored at being accepted into the group.  It seemed to her that she was the only one that didn’t entirely know what SG-1 did.  But the talk was easy and they made sure to keep her included.

Vala seemed to be back to her old self, flirting with all the men.  She took particular delight in teasing Tim.  Daniel tried hard to not mind, but the beast inside was taking notice.  He knew she was his, but jealousy was lurking.  He attempted to remember that this was just a ‘Vala’ thing and it meant nothing.

At one point, she was leaning over and whispering in Tim’s ear.  Daniel had to fight the urge to hit the man.  When Vala looked over and saw his face, she knew something was bothering him.  Reaching out, she ran her hand up his thigh and put her head on his shoulder.  When he didn’t react, she knew that he was upset with how she was acting.  She had forgotten that Tim had started at the SGC while he was gone.  Vala and the new guy had many times eaten lunch together and were friends.

She stood and excused herself to go to the ladies room.  Once out of sight of the rest of them, she opened her phone and texted Daniel.

_*I forgot my purse, please bring it to me.*_

Daniel snatched it up and went to find her.  As soon as he got to the out of the way hall that led to the restrooms, Vala grabbed and kissed him.  Rubbing her barely restrained breast against his chest and running a foot up the back of his leg, he could feel the heat course through his body and melted into the embrace.  When they broke apart, she looked him in the eye.

“I.  Love.  You.  Daniel Jackson,” she said softly.  “And only you.”

When they returned to the table, he seemed much easier.  As the night was winding down, each couple made their good-byes.  Daniel couldn’t wait to get home.  With the way Vala looked and the kiss she had given him earlier, the last part of the evening he was sporting half an erection.

When they opened the door to his apartment, it was the same as the first day they had gotten home.  Taking Vala in a searing kiss, he backed her into the wall.  His hands were sliding her dress up and ripping off her panties, as she was undoing his belt.  In record time, his pants were pooled around his ankles as he reached around, placing his hands on her firm ass and lifting her up.  She wrapped her legs around his thin waist as she mussed his hair.  Their tongues wrestling with fervor, building up the heat. Soon he was slipping into her while kissing her deeply.  Daniel was never the kind of guy to have sex against the wall before, but Vala made him lose his prudishness with one smoky-eyed look.  All he could think of, and was fast becoming his motto, was— _Carpe Occasio_.  Seize the opportunity— and that was precisely what he was going to do—every chance he got.

As they rocked together, Daniel closed his eyes.  A bright light flashed in his mind.  In a jumble of confused images— he _saw Sam and Vala in off-world gear.  Their faces twisted with fear.  Next was a mob of angry men, yelling, and spitting at someone he could not see.  Then an image solidified with the words, a bhaint as an dlí._   Daniel tried to plumb for more, but right then, Vala let out a particularly loud moan and he opened his eyes.  The vision faded quickly with the feel of her surrounding him.  As she neared ecstasy, her walls contracted and she screamed as he spilled inside of her.  Clinging to each other, they kissed again and Daniel forgot the vision completely.

* * *

 

_17 May 2009 — Earth — 19:10 hours_

 

On the last day of their vacation, a knock at the door startled the two people sitting in one chair, kissing.

“Who the hell could that be?” Vala groaned.

Daniel picked her up and placed her on the couch.  Crossing to the door, he let out a surprised grunt.

“Jack,” he said slowly, dropping his head to the door jamb.  Being off work and with Vala, he had totally forgotten to call his friend back.  The look on Jack’s face told him he was in trouble.

“Daniel,” O’Neill returned.  “So… I get back from places I can’t name and decided to call my former 2IC to see how things were.  And low and behold, she just happens to mention that a certain SG-1 team member that had been missing for the last six months had returned.  I was rather taken aback.  ‘When did he come back and is he all right?’ I ask and what does she tell me?

“‘I’m sorry, sir.  I thought he told me that he called you.  He’s been home for two weeks.’  And I answer her, ‘Two weeks?’  And to think that I call myself this man’s best friend.”

Daniel had the decency to look admonished, and open the door for Jack to come in.  Strolling into the living room he saw Vala, half reclined on the couch in one of Daniel’s old Air Force tee shirts and a pair of his soft boxers.

With one eyebrow raised, Jack turned to Daniel, “Ah… it’s all so clear now.”

The scolded younger man shook his head and asked, “Get you a beer?”

“Yes, I think I will have one,” he turned to Vala, “Princess?  Beer?”

“Oh, no, thank you, Jack.  I’ll just drink some of Daniel’s,” she purred to him.

Then Jack noticed the black cat curled up beside her, “Um, Daniel…” he said with a look of incredulity on his face, “what’s with the cat?”

“That’s… ah, that’s Aisling, Jack.  She is my companion.  She came back with me.  I guess I’m _her_ pet now.”

The older man raised an eyebrow, “Really… does this mean she goes where you go?”

Aisling turned piercing blue eyes to Jack and sniffed at him.

With a shy smile Daniel turned to get their beers.  When he came back Jack was sitting with Vala practically in his lap.  With a sigh, he handed the beer off to his friend and sat in his recliner, Aisling jumping onto his lap.  Vala gave him a look that said she was in full play mode.  Shaking his head, Daniel just looked at his beer.  Vala’s flirting was something that drove him nuts before, and he still didn’t like it.  But having Aisling purring against him alleviated the level of his annoyance.

“So, kids,” Jack started as he lifted his bottle to his lips, “how are things?”

Daniel fidgeted in his chair and mumbled, “Ah, quite well.  You?”

“Couldn’t be better.  Especially now that I know you are safe, sound, and whole again.”

“I’m really sorry, Jack.  I did call… you weren’t available.  Then things just kinda… started going at a breakneck speed.  I didn’t mean to keep you in the dark.”

Jack pulled another long sip of his beer, eyeing the other man.  After a long moment, he slapped his leg, “All’s well, Danny, my boy.  And I see you are in excellent hands here.  And, er… paws.”

“Exquisite hands, Jack,” Vala said as she took Daniel’s beer for a sip.

“Great!  Actually, now that I’m here I do have a bit of business for you.  When I talked to Hank, who by the way also told me you were home, said that SG-1 was having a much-needed break, but that it was over as of tomorrow.”

Jack took another swallow and cleared his throat.  “It just so happens that there is a planet that the SGC is interested in establishing trade relations.  SG-2 had the privilege of the initial meet and came back with some Naquadria.  At first blush, it looks like it may be more stable than any of the stuff we’ve used before.  Carter and her geek department were practically slobbering when they saw it.  And they have some interesting medical knowledge too.

“SG-2 also came back with a _very_ large book of law that someone of intelligence needs to examine carefully before anyone can go back.  Care to take a look, Daniel?”

Daniel had been only half-listening to him as Vala was nursing his beer in the most erotic way.

“Hmm?  Oh… yeah, yeah.  I’d love to,” he tried to cover.  “Has anyone from J.A.G. or Major Kovacek gone over it yet?  I mean, I only know so much about law, it’s not really my strong suit.”

Jack smiled at him, “Oh yeah, the sharks have already circled.  They didn’t seem to think there would be any trouble.”  He handed Daniel a flash drive with a grin, “The book is on here, thought you’d like to go over it before tomorrow.  Hank says to let you know the briefing is at 09:00 tomorrow with SG’s 1, and 2, and the aforementioned sharks.  And, of course, yours truly.”

Vala sat up and pouted at Daniel, “Back to the grind-rock.”

“Stone,” both men said.

Jack stood and moved towards the door and Daniel followed him, “It is _really_ great to see you, Daniel.  Let’s try and keep you in one working piece for a while, okay?” the silver-haired man said in a low voice as he hugged his friend.

“I’ll try, Jack,” he said as he looked over his shoulder to Vala.  “I have a good reason to make sure I do.”

Jack set the empty bottle down and went out the door with a wave to Vala.  Daniel padded after him  Once they were in the parking lot Jack turned back to his best friend, “Daniel,” he began, “does Hank know about the cat?”

Looking startled for a second, Daniel answered, “Yes, he knows.  Aisling is my sole responsibility.  And, I’m not entirely sure if she will go with me through the ‘gate.  I guess we’ll find out soon enough.  She will be coming to the SGC with me though.  Sam got her a service animal vest so she can accompany me while on Earth too.”

Jack hung his head for a moment.  Then he reached out and cupped the back of Daniel’s neck, hauling him in for another hug, “If that cat and that pirate can keep you out of trouble, I welcome their help.”  With a grin, the general got into his truck, leaving Daniel smiling after him.

* * *

 

_18 May 2009 — Earth — 04:30 hours_

 

Daniel had stayed up very late reading the laws from the planet named _Volzar_ , otherwise known as P5X-221.  Between the preliminary reports from SG-2 and the huge book of law, he was able to deduce that the planet had three separate countries.

The primary country was called Ertieg.  Its citizens held the most sway over the citizens of the whole planet.  They were the elite, almost to the point of royalty.  However, they were currently in a bitter dispute with the country of Sengo.  That country’s populace was made up of miners and other working class folks.  One of the main reasons that Ertieg wanted trade relations with Earth was so that the Tau’ri would help mediate an agreement to end hostilities that were beginning to grow between the two nations.  The Naquadria was mined in Sengo whose leaders wanted a larger share of the profits that Ertieg obtained from trading the mineral to other planets.

Daniel hated going into a potentially explosive situation for his first mission back.  But the mineral and the medical samples SG-2 had brought back would help Earth greatly, so it was a good mission.  Plus, they didn’t ask for weapons of any kind, which was extremely unusual.  It wasn’t until the very last page of SG-2’s report that he found out about the third country.  It was actually a penal colony for both nations that they simply called _The Island._

He figured that things would go smoothly with three teams going.  There were only a few issues that they had to address as a team in order to accommodate their legal requirements.  He was sure that neither Sam nor Vala would like it, but he would cross that bridge later.

Turning in at around four AM, Daniel snuggled up with Vala.  It seemed to him that she made sleeping easier than he had ever known it to be.  The dreams stayed sweet and the night terrors were gone.  He could definitely get used to this.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

_18 May 2009 — Earth: SGC — 09:30 hours_

 

The briefing room was more crowded than usual.  With SG’s 1, and 2, J.A.G. representatives, and both Generals O’Neill and Landry in attendance, there was barely any room to breathe.  Daniel was so bushed from staying up late to read the law book, he couldn’t stifle the yawns.  Vala kept kicking him under the table to keep him awake.  Aisling steadily purring on his lap made sleep all the more inviting.

After everyone else had given their presentations, it was Daniel’s turn.  Glad to be doing something, he managed to wake up a bit.  He was already on his fifth cup of coffee and wanted this to go quickly… the bathroom was calling him.

“The Stargate is in between both of the sovereign nations.  There is a forty-foot radius… ah, marked with a fence, around the ‘gate that is considered ‘No Man’s Land.’  When we go through, we have to stay within this area until someone from the office of the Proctor of Ertieg and the Governor of Sengo comes to collect us.

“Since Ertieg has the most sway over trade relations and the medical… um, stuff that we are interested in, I thought that SG-1 should take on those negotiations, leaving SG-2 with Sengo.  I guess SG-9 we’ll split between us.”

“SG-9 will not be going with, Dr. Jackson,” Landry said.  “They have an urgent mission elsewhere.  That’s why I wanted you to read up on the laws.  Didn’t General O’Neill tell you that?”

The whole room looked over to Jack, who was doodling on the notepad in front of him.  As the quiet stretched on, he looked up, mildly surprised.

“Didn’t you tell Dr. Jackson he was going to have to do this without Major Kovacek?” Landry asked.

Jack gave him a small grin, “Oops.”

General Landry closed his eyes, shaking his head as the rest of the room started to snicker.

Slightly rattled, it took Daniel a moment to get his thoughts back on track.  “Oh— uh… That— that’s fine, I guess.  Anyway, the third country is actually a large island in the middle of a lake around the size of the Arabian Sea that they simply refer to as: _The Island_.”

“How big is _The Island_?” Mitchell asked, “Would there be any reason to check it out?”

“Um… no, not really.  It’s the largest land mass on the planet, but from what I can figure, it’s pretty inhospitable.  As for size, think… Alaska with some of the Yukon and British Columbia territories thrown in for good measure.  But both Ertieg and Sengo use it as a penal colony.  They send their criminals there to carve out whatever life they can.”

Mitchell raised his hand stopping Daniel again, “By the way, Major Griff will not be able to go with SG-2 this time around and has asked me if I could go in his stead.”

General Landry held up his hand also, stopping Daniel from continuing.  “Colonel Carter and Ms. Mal Doran have their own mission also.  Apparently General O’Neill forgot to let you know that as well.”

Daniel tossed his pencil in the air exasperated.  Maybe this won’t be the walk in the park he had hoped for.  Still, he didn’t want to show any weakness.  He thought about it for a moment and then shrugged.

“Teal’c and me should be okay to hammer out the details with Ertieg, Mitchell, and SG-2 can deal with Sengo.  Sam and Vala can do their thing.”

Jack pointedly stared at Daniel, “As long as Teal’c stays with you.  Carter and Vala will be your back-up.”

Daniel dropped his head to his chest and sighed in his new found native language, “ _Ó Dia maith **[i]**_ — I’m a big boy, Jack.  I don’t need an armed escort.  Besides,” he looked up sheepishly, “that was the other point I needed to make.  According to the laws of Ertieg and Sengo, Sam and Vala cannot carry any weapons.”

A plethora of voices rang out immediately in protest.  Daniel knew this was not going to go over very well.  General Landry had to hit the table with his empty coffee mug to get everyone’s attention, scaring Aisling enough for her to hiss at him.

“Settle down people!” he shouted over the din, ignoring the cat.  “Let Dr. Jackson continue.”

The room grew quiet and focus was back on Daniel.  “Thank you.  Both Ertieg and Sengo are a culture where women are considered property and kept segregated.  They have little to no rights and are basically second class citizens.  According to their laws— you two cannot be armed.  I’m sorry,” he said with an apologetic look to Sam and Vala, “you’ll have to leave all your weapons inside the ‘No Man’s Land’ by the Stargate.  Will that interfere with their mission?”

Hank shook his head and said, “It shouldn’t, no.  When I spoke with the Proctor, he suggested that some of the team tour their medical facilities and schools in Ertieg.  I thought it would be a good job for Colonel Carter and Ms. Mal Duran.  Guess that was a good decision then.”

Jack scowled and said, “Cam will have to go with you then.  No objections.  Teal’c can stay with Carter and Vala, Mitchell will stay with you.  Ferretti will just have to man up for this mission and do the negotiations.”

Lou scowled at O’Neill and quipped,  “Damn it, sir, I’m a soldier, not a diplomat!”

“As long as you don’t have a red shirt on, you’ll be fine, Ferretti!” Jack grinned at him.

Closing his eyes, Daniel rubbed his temple trying to ward off a headache that was threatening.  He knew he wasn’t going to win any argument with Jack over their safety.  Bowing his head, he acquiesced.

“Fine.  I don’t have any more to tell you.  I’m hoping it won’t be too hard to broker the peace between the two nations and get a trade agreement in place.  I think that Ertieg only needs us to look over the treaty with Sengo— make sure that it is fair.”

“Well, I guess that’s it then,” General Landry said, “anyone else have something to add?”

Mitchell raised his hand again, “Is the cat going too?”

Daniel felt a flush of heat in his face, “I… I don’t know yet.  I have to… um… talk with her about it.  I’ll let you know in the locker room.”

Jack couldn’t resist needling his friend.  “Well, she _is_ a girl.  Do we have to declaw her first?”

Everyone laughed and Landry stood to retreat before Jack and Daniel got into it, as he thought would be the case.

“Okay then. I’ll make sure the Proctor of Ertieg knows that the individuals touring the hospital and schools are women and will not be armed.  You move out at 15:00 hundred.  Dismissed.”

* * *

 

_18 May 2009 — Earth: SGC — 14:10 hours_

 

As Daniel closed the door to his locker, he jumped in surprise as Sam and Vala standing right behind it.  Neither woman looked very pleased.

“Um… Sam— Vala,” he said as he backed away, “is there something I can do for you?”

Vala swept around behind the man, blocking any chance of escape.  “Just when precisely, were you going to tell us about this _no weapons thing_ , hmm?” she asked.

“Um, I was going to tell you before… ah, before we left,” the cornered man said, looking over to Aisling for some help.  She just glared at him along with the two women.

Sam turned him around to face her, “Daniel, do you remember that little blue number quite a few years back?  You know, the one that _you_ said I should wear like a real anthropologist?”

Daniel’s eyes slid out of focus for a moment as a slight smile played on his lips when the mental image came to him.  Then Vala turned him around to face her, “And what exactly was that look for?”

“I… don’t know what you mean, _mo ghrá_ ,” he tried to look as innocent as possible.

“Don’t you give me that _my love_ bit.  Why didn’t you tell us about the weapons?”

Daniel let out a long sigh, “Look, I’m sorry.  I’m working on two hours of sleep here.  It just sorta— skipped my mind.  I’ll be armed.  It’s not like we are going in without any protection.  And Cam will be with me while Teal’c will be with you.  There really shouldn’t be any problems.”

“Well, now there will be since you said that, Jackson!  Great way to minx the mission!” Vala tossed her hands into the air exasperated.

“That’s ‘jinx’ not minx, Vala.  Oh, and I think I’ve convinced Aisling to stay here since we shouldn’t be there overnight,” he added, trying to distract both of them.

The two women considered him for a long minute.  Nodding her head, Sam went to her locker to get ready.  Vala gave him a scorching look and did the same.  Daniel left the locker room, Aisling hard on his six, with relief that soon turned to anxiety.  He knew that was not going to be the end of it.

He headed down to Jack’s makeshift office and knocked on the door.  Hearing his grunted answer, Daniel pushed the door open.

“Daniel.”

“I have a request,” the younger man murmured.  When O’Neill raised his eyebrows in question, Daniel continued, “I’ve told Aisling that she needed to stay here while I was gone.  She’s not too happy, but I told her that maybe you would be willing to let her hang out in here?”

Jack leaned back in his chair and looked at him, “You know, Danny… that has got to be the most— odd request you have ever asked me for.”

Just then, Aisling jumped onto his desk and laid down on top of the paperwork Jack was dealing with.  Seeing that this could give him a good reason NOT do the dreaded and annoying work, he smiled at the cat.

“I guess I can do this for you… _one time_.”

Daniel let out a sigh of relief, “Thanks, Jack.  She won’t be any trouble.  And there is food for her in my office.  Oh and the littler box too.”

Waving his hand at him, Jack began to pet the purring feline.  Daniel smiled at the scene, then turned to go.

Before he got very far, he could hear Jack talking to Aisling, “You know, I’m really a dog person.”

“ _Meow_.”

* * *

 

_18 May 2009 — Earth: SGC-Planet Designation: P5X-221 — 15:00 hours_

 

As everyone gathered in the ‘gate room, there was little talk.  All were focused on the mission and what they had to do.  Both Sam and Vala still looked as if they would like to throttle Daniel.  He stayed on the other side of Teal’c— for safety.

The ‘gate burst open with the familiar kawoosh and settled into its usual shining pool.  Daniel immediately remembered the image of the vertical pool within a stone ring that he kept seeing in Tir Na n’Óg  He sent out a silent whisper to Ta’om, giving thanks again for his restoration.  He felt primed and raring to go, other than being dog-tired.  He had missed going through the ‘gate more than he thought he would.

Cam turned to Daniel with a smile, “You ready for this?” the young Colonel asked.

Daniel grinned at him, “Oh, yeah!”

“SGs-1 & 2, you have a go,” General Landry’s voice echoed through the embarkations room.

Cam and Teal’c led the troops.  Sam and Vala followed with Daniel right behind them, SG-2 behind him.  As soon as he stepped through, he felt elated.  He was getting back to what he loved to do.  Traveling the stars.  Exploring the universe.  Living.

As they all regrouped on P5X-221, Daniel took in the lay of the land.  They were surrounded by mountains.  The sky was a dusty sort of blue with wispy clouds.  It was cool and had the smell of fall to him.  There was the nine-foot, razor wire fence encircling the Stargate that Daniel had mentioned was the border of the ‘No Man’s Land.’  They walked to the large gate and waited for their escorts to come and collect them.

“You sure you can handle this, Ferretti?” Mitchell asked with a grin.

“Just because your patch has a 1 on it doesn’t mean that SG-2 can’t handle everything you guys can!  And we don’t die as often!” Lou gave Daniel a playful nudge.

“Everyone’s a comedian!”

About an hour later, two horse-like beasts drawing carriages pulled up to the other side of the fence.  Emblazoned on the side was the seal of Segno.  Two men that were considerably shorter than the Tau’ri, but looked very stoutly built, came inside the gate.  Both of them had a mop of blonde, almost white hair and piercing blue eyes.  By the looks of the vehicle and the dress of the men, they could tell that Segno was a poor country.

“We are here to escort your treaty party to our capital,” the shortest one announced.

Ferretti picked up his backpack and with the rest of SG-2 followed the Segno men.  He looked back at SG-1, “Stay safe you guys.  I don’t want to have to come and rescue Jackson again.”

Daniel had enough and shouted, “Will everyone stop treating me like a fucking china doll!”

It was really starting to get to him.  Grabbing his pack, he went and sat near the fence and away from everyone else to wait for the Ertieg representative to show up.  He had wanted to enjoy his first mission back but with the way things were, he wasn’t sure that was going to happen.  He closed his eyes, trying to rid himself of a rising headache.

A streak of lightning flashed through his mind.  He could see bewildering images flicker behind his eyes.  _He saw Sam and Vala, their faces were beaten and full of fear.  An angry mob of men, yelling, and spitting at the two women.  Cameron was overtaken by soldiers.  And then there was fire.  Flames lapping up around Vala and Sam, and he heard their screams_.

“NOOOOOO!” Daniel cried, startling others.

Teal’c bent down and grasped the shaking man’s shoulder, “DanielJackson, are you unwell?”

His face was covered in sweat and he was shaking like a windblown leaf.  He pushed Teal’c’s hand away, crawled little ways away and puked.  What was wrong with him?  Where did those images come from and why now?  Daniel wiped the back of his hand a crossed his mouth.  This was _not_ good.

A water bottle appeared before his eyes and he took it gratefully.  After he had rinsed out his mouth from the sick, he took several gulps.  Looking up he saw Vala standing next to him, her hand on his back.

“What happened, Moswen?” she asked him in hushed tones.

Daniel shook his head and stood up.  He was trying to discover that himself.

“I… I must’ve fallen asleep,” he told her in a thick voice.  “Had to been dreaming.  I’m okay now, Vala.”

The space princess didn’t believe him for one minute.  She knew something was wrong, but with everyone treating him with kid gloves, she knew better than to suggest that he go back home.

“DanielJackson,” the deep timber of Teal’c’s voice called, “ValaMalDoran, our guide is here to take us to the capital city.”

Daniel looked around and saw two car-like vehicles just outside the fence.  With one more gulp of water, he and Vala went to join the others.  As they approached the gate, the man from Ertieg held out his hand to stop them.  He had the calculating appearance of a weasel and his face acquired a look of disdain as Teal’c and the two women approached.  He too had blonde hair, what there was of it, but his eyes were pale gray, almost clear.  Their coldness really wigged out Daniel.

“My name is Sitrik and I’m sorry sir,” he addressed Daniel and Mitchell, “but the Jaffa cannot come past the fence.”

Daniel looked at him startled, “There was nothing in your laws that told us that.”

“It is known to all who trade with us.  The first of your people that we talked with did not have one with them, so it never occurred to us that you would bring one now,” Sitrik told him politely.

This was just getting better and better.  Neither of the women could have weapons and now Teal’c couldn’t go with them.

“I could radio SG-2 and see if they could use my assistance instead,” Teal’c suggested.

“No, no,” the little rodent man said, “No Jaffa anywhere.  We usually do not let your kind even come through the Chappa’ai.  No one told us that your people consort with… them,” Sitrik almost choked on the last word.  “And your women… they have no weapons, right?  Your leader, General Landry contacted and let us know they would be coming, but I did not realize that they were— soldiers.”

Vala was about to turn right around to leave when Daniel grabbed her arm to stop her.  The escort did nothing to hide his revulsion at the idea of the two females even being permitted to be there or that the man actually touched one of them.

Setting his jaw firm and his shoulders square, Daniel nodded, “It’s alright, we can still broker the trade agreement.”

“WHAT?!” Vala shouted.

Ignoring her, he turned to Teal’c, “I think you should stay on this planet, though.  Radio the SGC— let them know what is going on.  Vala and Sam will do their thing, Cam and I will do what we came here to do.”

Vala again began to protest, but Teal’c gave him a nod and Daniel turned back to the Ertieg man, “Let’s go then,” and he strode out the gate.  Mitchell shrugged and gave a half-hearted smile to the Jaffa, then herded the female portion of his team to the waiting cars.

Vala hurried to catch up with Daniel— she wasn’t going to let him out of her sight, no matter how pissed off he would get.  But that lasted all of thirty seconds.  The door to the first car was opened, both Daniel and Cam were relieved of their packs, then ushered into the car.  When Vala tried to get in next to them, Sitrik stopped her, taking great care _not_ to touch her.

“You two may ride in the other car,” Sitrik told them with nothing short of disgust at having to address the women.

“Daniel—” Vala called to him.

“It’s going to be okay, Vala.  We have to respect their laws.  You and Sam go and do your thing, and Cam will be with me.  Please— don’t rock the boat,” he looked imploringly at both of them.  “Let’s just get this done, and go home.”

He still looked sick as the car door shut.  The two women walked back to the second car.  As soon as they got in, a woman in elegant clothes and a long scarf covering her head greeted them and smiled warmly.

“I am Addal, _First Speaker_ of the women.  I greet you warmly,” she said.  “Your commander let us know that you would be accompanying the men.  It is a great honor to be able to speak with women from such a formidable planet.”

Sam smiled slightly, “I’m Colonel Samantha Carter and this is Vala Mal Doran.”

Vala didn’t bother with the niceties, “What’s the deal with women on this planet?”

Addal smiled softly, “The men are first.  We are here to serve them.”  Seeing the look on her guests’ faces, she continued, “We do have rights, but we are separate from the men in all things.”

“Why in the vast black cosmos do you put up with that?” Vala exclaimed.

Addal smiled sympathetically to the newcomers, “It is how we live, Ms. Mal Doran.  In Segno, the women are treated with less respect.  They are held in no greater regard than the animals.  They can hold no property, cannot vote, and are assigned a mate.  We feel very fortunate to live in Ertieg.  Many new laws are being accepted even now.  It must be quite different on your planet.  Having a woman as a soldier is astonishing.”

Sam knew that Daniel would have some wise words about different cultures to say, but she was with Vala on this.  It was simply wrong.

Watching out the window, they saw that Ertieg was very affluent.  The people on the sidewalks were all dressed in fine clothes and the buildings were pristine.  The cars pulled into the courtyard of a vast and beautiful manor.  The bushes were trimmed into what seemed to be animal shapes and the grounds were very neatly edged.  The house itself was three stories high and had a balcony wrapping around on the second floor.  There were two front doors, one more elaborate than the other.

Before the women got out of the car, Addal instructed the newcomers.

“We have to let the men go first and we use the smaller door.  You must always stay slightly behind the men and you may not speak until you are addressed.  Your heads must be covered at all times.  The hat you are wearing will be sufficient, Colonel Carter.  Ms. Mal Doran, do you need a scarf for this purpose?”

With her mouth hanging open with absolute gall, Vala dug into her pocket and pulled one of Daniel’s bandanna out.  With great flair, she wrapped it around her black hair.”

“Adequate?” she nearly snarled.

Addal smiled with a benign look and nodded.

“On our world, when a soldier enters a building, we take our cover off as a show of respect,” Sam said.

“Oh no, not here.  Only when you are alone or with other women can you remove the garment,” Addal told them.  Before they exited the car, she asked, “Are either of you mated to one of those men?”

Sam and Vala looked at each other for a second, “Dr. Jackson and I are in a relationship if that’s what you mean,” the dark haired woman answered.

“But are you his bonded mate?  Sworn only to him?” Addal asked insistently.

“Well, no, we’re not married.”

“Then the two of you will have to stay in a room together.  You will not be allowed to stay with him. You must not touch him either.  You cannot ever lay a hand on a man that is not bounded to you.  I know our ways are strange, but you must, for your own safety, abide by them.”

Vala was about to protest when she saw Daniel get out of the car in front of them.  He only quickly glanced at her as he followed Sitrik and Cam up the steps to the large door.  Sam grabbed Vala before she could go after him.

“Vala, they were probably told the same thing that we were.  He’s not ignoring you on purposes.  We have to be really careful and not piss these people off.  Okay?” Sam said in quiet tones.

She merely nodded her head and followed behind Addal.  When they reached the foyer, Vala noticed that Daniel was being taken off to the left while she and Sam were ushered to the right.  Neither woman was especially happy at being split up, particularly since they were unarmed.

When they reached their room, Addal let them know they had about an hour to freshen up and relax.  As soon as they were alone, Vala just about exploded.

“This is _insane!_   What’s the term?”

“CATFU!” Sam laughed.  Vala cocked a questioning eyebrow at her.  “It’s a military term.  It means, _Completely And Totally Fucked Up_.  Look, we just have to put up with it for a short time.  Daniel will wrap up the talks quickly.  He won’t want to stay here long either.”

She sat down on the bed and looked around, “Vala, do you have any weapons on you?”

Vala looked guiltily at her, “Yes.  You?”

Sam nodded, “Yeah, got it hidden.  We had better be careful.  It sounds like the law is taken very seriously.  Make sure you keep it concealed.”

The raven-haired woman nodded her head and began to walk around the room to investigate it more carefully.  It was a pleasant looking place with dark oak paneling.  A rug that seemed to be handmade covered most of the floor and added some color to the room.  A door opened out onto the balcony and looked out over the grounds.  The place was beautiful; that much was certain.

Vala noticed the female workers on the grounds.  The men were standing around, overseeing what they were doing.  Most of the women were actually no more than teens.  Sam came up behind her and looked out over the lawn, saying, “Our packs just came up.  It seems they went through them.  You didn’t have any—”

Vala shook her head no, “I didn’t want to chance that they would look through our stuff.  I’m kinda shocked that they didn’t pat us down though.”

“Me too.  Perhaps they thought it would be a breach of trust to do that,” Sam considered.

There was a knock on the door that startled both of them.  Sam went to answer it.  She was pleasantly surprised to see Daniel and Addal standing there.

“Daniel,” she said and Vala immediately came into the room, “is everything okay?”

He walked in with Addal a few steps behind him.  “You both have your things?”

Sam nodded.

“That’s good.  Um… I can come to see you, but you are not allowed to come to Cam’s or my rooms,” he told them with his eyes averted.  He knew that Vala would be upset.  “I’m sorry, I knew about the segregation laws, I guess I just didn’t realize how sacred it was to them.  The separation laws are basically their religion.”

Looking obviously uncomfortable, he said, “Addal will escort you on the tour of the hospital, the women’s school and show you around the city.  I’ve been told that crime is almost nonexistent because of the law of separation, so you shouldn’t feel too vulnerable without your weapons.”

Vala snorted and Sam just shook her head.

Daniel turned to Addal, “May I have a word with Vala— alone?”

The older woman looked suspiciously at him, then agreed.  She and Sam stepped into the hallway and closed the door.

As soon as they were alone, Daniel had Vala in his arms.  They kissed passionately for a moment.  When they parted, he put his forehead to hers and brushed her hair back.

“I’m sorry that we can’t be together, _mo ghrá_.  We have to go along with the customs here.  Cam and I will try to get these talks done soon, and we can go home,” he said.

Vala nodded with tear-bright eyes, “This is a fucked up planet, Daniel.  Addal said that Sengo is even worse.  Are we sure we want to have trade relations with this place?  I hate that I can’t even touch you.  And now I have to wear this all the time—” she pointed at her green bandanna.

“You look beautiful,” Daniel said with a smile.  “It’s that mine?”

With a little chuckle Vala nodded.  She kissed him again, wanting to soak his essence in as much as she could, “I’ll behave myself, darling.  I promise… even though I’m appalled at the treatment of women here.”

Daniel smiled at her, “Me too, and I’m sure Sam is also.  We have to make this work, though, Vala.  Jack is counting on me and, in fact, we could use a steady source of Naquadria.”

He knew that their time together would be very limited.  He hugged her close and kissed her once more.  “Please be careful, _mo ghrá!_   I don’t want anything to happen to you… or Sam.”

“We will be, Moswen.”

Addal knocked and entered the room without waiting for an answer.  Luckily, Daniel and Vala were a few feet away from each other when she came in.  Daniel could tell that the woman was anxious about leaving them alone.

He turned to his team, “The Proctor has arranged a dinner for us tonight.  I told him that we were not planning to stay overnight and didn’t bring any formalwear.  He said that they would be provided for us.  Addal will take you to a shop when you visit the city.”

Vala looked confused, “I thought we would be going back to the SGC.  No one said we would be staying the night.”

“It’s only for tonight, Vala.  Cam’s already radioed Teal’c to let them know Earth-side.  SG-2 was told it would be an overnight also when they got to Sengo.”

Sam was getting a hinky feeling but tried not to let him see that.  She smiled, “Overnight it is.  No problem.”

Daniel smiled slightly, “I’ll see you at dinner then.  The meeting will be right afterward.”

Addal bowed her head slightly as he passed to go back to his room.  She then turned to Sam and Vala.

“Are you sufficiently rested to go now?” the older woman asked.

Both of the teammates said yes and they followed their guide out the door.

* * *

 

_18 May 2009 — Planet Designation: P5X-221 — 19:35 hours_

 

The city was charming, Sam thought as they drove the hospital.  She was fascinated despite herself at how orderly everything was.  There was a red stripe down the center of the over-wide sidewalks, the women walked on the building side while the men walked on the street side.

For the most part, everyone was cordial to each other, save for a few men that quite literally raised noses in the air as women walked by them.  Sam noticed quite a few of the women were holding hands in a very intimate way.  Raising an eyebrow at Vala, she smiled.

“Addal,” Sam turned to the older woman, “can the women here have female mates?”

“Oh, yes, and men have male partners too.  In fact, it is typical.  If a man wishes… the companionship of a female as his mate, there are many forms to be filled and restrictions to adhere too.  Most men prefer to have nothing to do with women, though there are a few who enjoy their company.

“Still, all of the women have to produce at least one child.  However, we have a new technology where we no long have to engage in the physical act, if that is what we wish.”

Vala nearly spewed the water she had been drinking.  With eyes wide she side, “Where’s the fun in that?  No sex?  Gods, I wouldn’t be caught dead living here!”

Addal continued, a little put off but with an even voice.  “There is new legislation in the works that will allow _one_ woman from a family not to be required to have a child.  However, I do not think it will pass.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” Vala said derisively.  “Why are women treated this way, Addal?  I just don’t understand.”

Addal sighed.  She really didn’t know how to explain it to the off-worlders.  It was just the way things were here.  “Maybe if you tell me a little about your culture, I can understand better what it is that have you so upset.”

“Well,” Sam started before Vala could regal the older woman with tales of sexual conquest she may have had.  “On my world, in the country I come from, women hold positions of power.  We are an equal part of the military, and also in politics.  Mostly, we are paid the same for the same work, and we can marry anyone we want to.  I’m not only a Colonel in the Air Force, but I’m also a scientist.”

“So the women can do anything the men can without prejudice?”

“Yes,” Sam said vehemently.  “We are as equals with the men— mostly.  There are sometimes problems, I don’t want you to think we live in a utopia.  There is violence against women and sometimes women are passed over for a promotion in favor of a man.  But, we live together if we want to.  We touch and play and use the same doors.  It wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow if a man and a woman were holding hands or kissing in public.”

Addal blushed at the idea, “No one can show any form of familiarity to the opposite sex publicly.  Not even if they were mated.  Men do not live with their partner.  She would live with her ‘family’.”

“I don’t understand,” Vala said.

“A ‘family’ encompasses all the women of one hereditary line.  We stay with the ‘family’ all of our lives.  If a male wishes to be with his woman, they must use the ‘common-house’ for the time that he desires to be with her.  Most of the men will move into row-houses when they are finished with their schooling.”

“How are the children raised then?” Sam asked, “if not in homes with their parents?”

Addal shook her head, “When a male child is born, he is taken to the fostering house, run by men and girls are returned to their ‘family.’  If the father wishes to visit his child, he is allowed on certain days.  He can visit either sex, but the mother cannot visit her son.  When the boys are old enough, they will go to school.”

Sam could hardly hide her shock at the information.  To never have the love and comfort of a parent seemed close to criminal to her.

“It’s very different where I grew up.  Our children are raised by their parents.  Sometimes kids have to go to foster care if the parents die or do not want the child, but typically we are nurtured in a family.  Do the girls go to school?”

“Oh, yes!  But different schools and the trade education is only for the men!  We will be touring the girl’s school and hospital.  We are not allowed to enter the men’s establishment.”

“See, in my country, we all go to the same school, have classes together, go to university together.  We do have some schools that are only for girls or boys.  It’s the parents of the child that choose to send their kids to those.  It’s not forced.”

Addal considered this for a long moment, “I think that would be nice to have, but that I will not see it in my lifetime.  Does your country accept same-sex mating as well?”

Sam smiled at Vala and said,  “It’s funny, we were having that conversation not that long ago. Legally no.  But it is getting better.  Still, in many places they cannot marry or have any rights as a couple.  It has been only recently that gay and lesbian people can openly serve in the military.”

“Then both our planets are in the pains of birthing a new way of thinking,” Addal said thoughtfully.

It was quiet for some time as the two off-worlders continued to stare out the windows of the car.  Vala’s thoughts were with Daniel and she really didn’t comprehend what she was seeing or hearing.

The tour of the hospital was informative and Sam had a lot of notes to share with Dr. Lam when they returned.  The school was quaint, much like the one-room schoolhouse of old.  The girls were fascinated with the foreign women and asked so many questions that it was almost sunset by the time they left.

A short ride later, the car pulled into a parking lot and Addal gathered her things.  “This is where we can obtain some more appropriate clothing for the dinner tonight.”

They all stepped out of the car into the warm evening.  The first speaker ushered them into a shop.  It, like everything else here, catered to only one sex.  The dresses were gorgeous and Vala perked up at seeing them.  Both she and Sam perused the formalwear with glee.

“Addal,” Vala asked, “can we choose anything?”

The older woman laughed, the first time she had done so, “Yes, dear.  Anything.”

With huge smiles, they began their quest.  When both had picked out three gowns to try on, they went to the dressing rooms in the back.

That was when everything went sideways and the trouble began.

* * *

 

_18 May 2009 — Planet Designation: P5X-221 — 19:35 hours_

 

While Colonel Mitchell toured the barracks of the Protective Force, Daniel and Proctor Odoaker strolled through the flower garden chatting.  Jackson was fascinated with the history of Volzar and how they overcame the Goa’uld.  The system Lord that had reigned over this planet was a little-known female named Sanngriðr.  Daniel immediately knew that she had stolen the moniker from Old Norse mythology.  She was one of the Valkyries and her name meant “very violent” and “very cruel.”  And she was ruthless. Sanngriðr had forced the men to work the Naquadria mine, keeping them in little better than cages on _The Island_ and killing male babies if the population grew too much.  The life expectancy of a man was barely 20 years.

The human women worked in Sanngriðr’s court, but they were also doted on and lived lavishly.  When the Goa’uld was eventually overthrown, the men of the planet became the rulers, and women became second class citizens.  Over the years, however, the men became just as cruel as Sanngriðr had been and established the laws of separation.  It also explained why the majority of the people he saw were blonde and blue eyed.  Sanngriðr must have snatched up her human slaves from Northern Europe, probably the Baltic region or Germania.

Even though he did not approve of the segregation of women, Daniel could see how smoothly everything seemed to run in Ertieg.  He was told of the poverty and crime that plagued Sengo and that Ertieg was trying to help them.  Sengo was resistant— seeing such help as an act of interference and colonization.  They didn’t like what Odoaker’s government was doing concerning the status of women and made it clear that there would always be a gender apartheid.  They also wanted Ertieg to share in the mining operations, but that hadn’t gone over well with the elite.  The caste system was very prevalent on this planet.

Daniel asked about their technology.  They had the ability for much more advanced modes of transportation but seemed not to covet such things.  They didn’t even have any sort of aircraft.  Odoaker told him that most of the population considered flying an act against nature.  That it was only recently they accepted the use of motorized vehicles in Ertieg.  Their technology was based on comforts and security.

 _The Island_ dome was left over from the Goa’uld and they just continued to use it for people that had been convicted.  The only way to get onto _The Island_ was with what passed for a truck that would be driven across a long bridge.  When it was close to the dome, an electric signal was activated to let them through the force field.  Odoaker told Daniel that the frequency of the signal is always changing so the inhabitance of _The Island_ couldn’t try to jam it and escape.  Only a very few men knew how the system worked and they were selected from only one hereditary line.

Medical study was also at the forefront of their ideology.  The advancements of herbalist medicine had almost wiped out most diseases in recent years.  Doctors were called ‘Healers’ and would spend long hours in special gardens, cultivating their crops.  Women were allowed to water and weed the gardens, but could not harvest the plants.  They were also required to wear garments that would keep them from actually touching the plants, keeping them pure from the bleeding disease that all women carry.

Proctor Odoaker was very forthcoming and Daniel liked that.  He got the feeling that the older gentleman would like to ease some of the separation laws.  As they talked, Odoaker told him that it was _he_ who made it possible for women to hold property.  They still had to have an arranged pregnancy, but now they did not have to lie with the men; it could be done medically.  That was a big step in the lives of the people of Ertieg.  They still considered women to be unclean, but now acknowledged that they could learn and hold positions of some power.  Addal was the first woman to be allowed in the government.

And unlike Earth, same-sex partnerships were accepted.  Daniel figured that was the case, with the attitudes of the male population.  Odoaker said that even his own council the majority held a lot of bigotry and outright hatred of females.  He was definitely one of the few that looked at women as equals to men and actually enjoyed their company.

Still, as with so many places trying to change the way people think, prejudice and abhorrence will always be a problem.  It was rare, but there were public outcries, mostly in cases of serious breaches of law such as a woman hitting a man or having weapons.  The winds of change, however, had an air of unrest that the Proctor was concerned about.  He had hoped that an alliance with the Tau’ri would help to quell any uprisings his opponents were working to inflame.

As they neared the manor, Sitrik came running up to the men.  His face was sweaty and he had a look of sadistic glee about him.

“Proctor, we need you now!  It’s an emergency.”

The old man turned to Daniel, “Please excuse me a moment.”

The two men walked a short ways away and conversed quietly.  He wondered what Cam was up too.  The younger man didn’t like leaving Daniel alone, but the archeologist told Mitchell that he couldn’t get into much trouble just talking with the Proctor in the garden.

As Daniel looked around, he was overwhelmed with fatigue.  Readjusting his P-90 a crossed his chest he wished he had left it in his room.  But he had promised Jack to keep it with him at all times.  Closing his eyes, he turned his face towards the sun, and then it came—

_Fire._

_A raging fire all around Sam and Vala… burning them to death.  They were screaming his name.  A crowd of men shouting and spitting at them with fists raised in anger._

Daniel opened his eyes gasping for air.  Again, he fell to his knees and wretched.  What was going on with him?  What were these images?

Then it dawned him.  The gift that Dagda had given him.  _The Imbas Forosnai-Knowledge that Illuminates_.  He was having visions of things that were going to happen.  He looked up and saw the Proctor arguing with Sitrik.  Then he heard it.  An angry crowd just outside the garden walls.  Quickly Daniel stood up and went to the Proctor.

“What’s happened?” he nearly screamed.

Proctor Odoaker turned sad eyes to him, “Your women.  They were caught with weapons.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [i] Ó Dia maith – Oh, good god


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

_18 May 2009 — Planet Designation: P5X-221 — 21:45 hours_

 

The square was crammed with people.  Armed guards were pushing a struggling Cam in front of them, his weapons had been taken.  Soldiers also surrounded Daniel, Sitrik, and Proctor Odoaker as they were ushered towards the County Courthouse.  Jackson was beyond scared.  Not for himself but for his love and his friends.  What was going to happen?  Were his visions going to come true?  What could possibly be the point of this gift, if he couldn’t use it to save the ones he loved?

With a piercing pain, it came to him.  He remembered the first time the vision had come to him.  He and Vala were making love against the wall in his apartment.  He had seen the angry horde, the fire, and— words.  He felt as if he was going to be sick again, but shoved the feeling down.  There was no time for that.  He had to remember what the words were.  Why couldn’t he remember?  It was just a few words.

As they neared the stairs to the building, Daniel caught sight of the female half of his team.  Both women were surrounded by men in what looked the equivalent of hazmat suits.  The guards were herding the women in front of them, secured by a long pole with a noose around their neck like they use to subdue a wild animal.  Jackson’s mouth dropped open.  Mitchell tried to break away from the soldiers holding him and was rewarded with a gun butt to the back of the head.  He fell in a heap to the ground, then had his hands cuffed together behind his back.  A few of the screaming hoard tried to kick or hit him as Daniel pushed his way through the crowd to get to Cam and the two women.

Sam looked as if they had broken her nose.  There was blood gushing down the side of her face and she was panting.  Vala appeared just as bad.  Both her eyes were so swollen that she was peering through slits.  Her lips were bleeding profusely and she was clutching at her ribs.  But neither woman had a tear on their face.  Both stood as defiantly as possible.

“Daniel!” Vala screamed.

“Vala!  I’m here now!” he rushed up and without thinking, took her in his arms and kissed her.

The swarm of men began shouting louder and grabbed Daniel pulling him away from her.  Instigators started throwing stones at them.

“He has touched a woman!  He is a _skrunilec_!” one man yelled.

“He is tainted!” another cried.  “Unclean!”

The crowd started chanting, _skrunilec, skrunilec, skrunilec_.

“ **BACK OFF!!** ” Daniel yelled as he pulled his P-90 up and armed it.  He wasn’t sure what a _skrunilec_ was, but the way they were yelling it, it couldn’t be good.

When Cam was hauled to his feet, he tried to head butt one of the guards only to be knocked unconscious in return, leaving Jackson on his own.  A soldier tried to grab Daniel from behind, but he swiveled around and punched the man in the face.  Raising his gun, he shot a few rounds into the air, trying to get them to back off, but it didn’t work.  Three of the larger guards rushed him and took him down.  They managed to relieve him of all his weapons and bloody his face as well.  Daniel tried with everything he had to shake the men off, but he was overwhelmed.  The biggest soldier had his arm around the off-worlder’s neck in a half-nelson and was pushing him through the front doors of the Courthouse.

As Daniel was manhandled inside, he looked back to see two men dragging Cam away towards the Stargate.  Sam and Vala were being forced into the same building but a different door.  He kept trying to fight his way back to his teammates, but it was hopeless.  The soldiers punched and kicked him attempting to subdue the enraged archeologist.  The Proctor came in and slammed the door shut, halting the assault.

“If I see another soldier hit that man they will be thrown into the _vault_!  Am I understood?!”

He walked over to Tau’ri and placed a hand on his shoulder.  He said in a pleading tone, “Dr. Jackson, please, you must calm yourself.”

“CALM myself?!” he spat blood on the floor and let out a harsh laugh, “Calm myself??  Vala is my… my girlfriend!  And Sam is my teammate and friend!  They’re being stoned and paraded around on, on, on catch poles!!!”

The Proctor’s eyes widened, “The dark haired woman is to be bonded to you?”

Daniel hated lying but, in this case, he didn’t see where it would hurt.  He painfully sat up on the dusty floor and leaned against the wall.  “Yes, she is.  What have you done with Colonel Mitchell?  I saw them dragging him somewhere.”

With a long and weary sigh, Odoaker sat heavily in a nearby chair.  “He will be taken to the ‘No Man’s Land’ and sent back to your planet.  As for the women… they will be held accountable for their crimes.  Something that is going to be a very hard for me to preside over.  We have never before had trouble of this nature with off-worlders.  But I guess it is my fault.  I agreed to let your women come.  I truly did not think that this transaction would sour so quickly.

“I had hoped that relations with the Tau’ri— such a powerful force in the universe, would be all to my advantage.  Many of the planets that we already trade with have spoken about your defeat of the System Lords and the Ori.  I only thought it would be beneficial to invite you here.  But now… I’m seriously considering retirement.  If only I could,” the older gentleman rubbed a gnarled hand over his face.  He looked about as tired as Daniel felt.

Sitrik entered the room with an air of victory.  His face was twisted in an ugly smile and he was almost tittering with a vicious glee.  “The other off-worlder has been left with their Jaffa.  I have armed soldiers surrounding ‘No Man’s Land’ with orders of ‘shoot to kill’ if either of them try to come back through.  They have refused to go back to their world, however.”

Daniel practically crawled into a straight-backed chair.  His whole body ached as he leaned over, elbows on his knees.  Hanging his head, he tried again to remember the words that his first vision gave him.  He closed his eyes and concentrated on the images.  As if a fog lifted, he saw the words again, _a bhaint as an dlí_ — use the law.  That was the only way he could save his love and his friend.  He had to remember Ertieg’s laws.

“Proctor Odoaker,” Daniel said tiredly, “sir, may I go through your law book again?”

Sitrik jumped in between them, “No!  No!  You are not allowed.  The sentencing will start immediately as is the custom.”

Daniel looked at the Proctor imploringly.  The gentleman had nothing but sympathy for the off-worlder.

“I am sorry, Dr. Jackson, but Sitrik is correct.  We will start the sentencing in five counts.  Sitrik, will you tell the others to join us in the trial room.  Make sure those women are protected, I don’t want any more harm to come to them.”

Sitrik could hardly contain his excitement,  “Yes, Proctor.”

The high guard hauled Daniel up by one arm and frog-marched him into another room.  It was small and stiflingly hot.  As tired as he was, the heat didn’t help him any.  Shortly after he was settled at a table, his teammates were brought in.  He stood to go to them when a guard pushed him roughly back into the chair.

A side door opened and six men with the Proctor at the center marched in and sat at the big table that took up most of the front of the small room.  Then the back doors open and a rush of men crowded into the gallery.  The hazmat guards kept the crowd from closing in on the accused.  Daniel panted with the heat.  He took his tech vest and jacket off, using the sleeve to rub over his face.  It surprised him how much blood covered the cloth when he pulled it away.  He barely registered that someone was talking.  It was Sitrik… the little weasel.

“Most honorable, Proctor.  Gentlemen of Ertieg, these two off-worlder whores, felt it necessary to spit in our faces and flout the laws of this great nation.  They did so willingly and with the knowledge that it was forbidden, hid these weapons,” he held up two combat knives and a small pistol. “upon their persons.”

The yells and jeers rang thought out the courtroom and small stones were thrown at them.  Sitrik held his hand up to quiet the crowd.  When the crowd settle down, he continued, “Do you offer any legitimate reason for this?”

“Sir,” Carter said in a firm voice, “we are truly sorry for this… misunderstanding.  Vala and I are a part of a military team and, therefore, we are used to having weapons on us.  When we came here, we had every intention to leave all the weapons behind.  It just— slipped our mind about these.”

“LIES!” the ferret man screamed, “I have it on good authority that they conspired together and knowingly concealed these.”  More screaming ensued.

Daniel over at Sam surprised.  He didn’t know why he should be.  It was well in the character of both women.

The Proctor used what passed for a gavel and hit the table a few times.  “Sitrik, do you have proof of this accusation?”

With a feral sneer, he held up a small device and pushed a button.  Sam’s tinny voice was heard quite clearly throughout the room.

_“Vala, do you have any weapons on you?”_

_“Yes.  You?”_ came the former pirate’s answer.

_“Yeah, got it hidden.  We had better be careful.  They sound like they take the law very seriously.  Make sure you keep it concealed.”_

The room exploded again and more stones were thrown towards the two females.

Daniel could hear Vala screaming, “YOU HAD THE ROOM BUGGED?”

They should have known.  It was a rookie mistake.

As the yells and jeers continued, Sitrik held his hand up to quiet the crowd.  When they did, he said, “Take them to the holding vault!  I have no further use for them.  Their very presence offends me.”

“Oh yeah?” Vala screamed, “You wanna know what I think of you— you piece of…”

One of the hazmat guys put a gag her as they were pulled away.  Sam called out to Daniel, but the guard behind him wouldn’t let even stand.  He saw the same fear on their faces that he had seen in his vision.

Sitrik started to speak again.  “As per our law, section 2; paragraph 3: _no woman may be allowed to possess, carry, or use a weapon of any kind upon penalty of death, publicly, by fire and without delay_.  These two will prove to the more lenient peoples of this nation that women are not to be trusted.  That they should not be allowed any privileges that a man is permitted.”

As he said that, Sitrik looked directly at the Proctor.  More shouting followed— all in support of what Sitrik had alleged.

Daniel was at the end of his rope, and it looked like the noose was knotted.  He was racking his brain, trying desperately to find some way that he could free Sam and Vala.  Both now condemned to death by fire.  He had gone through this with Vala already and did not wish to repeat the experience.  If only these people would just— SHUT UP! A surge of sickness welled up in him.

It was up to his resourcefulness to rescue his team.  With Cam and Teal’c not allowed out of the ‘No Man’s Land’, and his gear, including the radio, confiscated— he had to try something… _anything_.  Then it came to him.  There _was_ a law that he could invoke.  One that was not used very often, if ever.

Shrugging off his sentry’s hand he stood up with his head bowed.  He waited to be acknowledged before speaking, as was custom.  The elder man nodded at Daniel.

“If it pleases, sir,” Daniel said in respectful tones, “I humbly wish to address the council.”

“Proceed.”

Taking a moment to organize his approach, he swallowed hard, “I’m a foreigner in your country, but it _was_ your Honor that requested my people for help and trade relations.  I was given your book of law and came knowing them.  As I understand, the two women in question have been condemned because they’d been found with weapons upon their person.  And being women, they neither have nor ask for leniency that a man could.  Am I correct, sir?”

“You speak the truth,” the old man said.

Nodding, Daniel closed his eyes— the flash of Sam and Vala burning to death was so vivid he could smell their flesh cooking, feel the heat on his face.  He would _not_ let that happen!  But he had promised never to ever leave her again.  If she was dead… the pledge would mean nothing.  His _life_ would mean nothing.  Therein lies the rub.  Opening his eyes, he looked at the Proctor squarely.

“The law also says, in section 42; paragraph … ah, 18, that if there is someone with whom the accused has a bond, be it legal cohabitation or familiar, they may come forward to the Council to offer penance.  As one of the women in question is my superior and the other is my intended mate, I invoke that right.”

Wiping his hand a crossed his mouth, finding it was still bleeding, he closed his eyes and took a deep, steadying breath.

“I humbly offer myself in exchange for both women’s lives.  As it is written, _two women are worth less than one man_.”

A ruckus broke out immediately in the gallery and a relatively weighty rock hit Daniel in the back of the head.

“Unheard of!!” several men bellowed.

“Sacrilege of our laws!” more men roared.

“ _Skrunilec! Skrunilec! Skrunilec!_ ” the chant started again.

The heavy gavel stone of the Proctor had crashed several times on his desk before order was restored.

Daniel, rubbing the back of his head were a lump was forming, said, “Since I’m offering this exchange freely and without reservation, I’m allowed to put forth the stipulations upon this agreement.  Both of these women must _not_ be harmed in any way.  They are to be escorted to the Stargate and allowed to go back to our planet.  Does the Proctor, ever wise, agree to this?”

Sitrik was seeing red.  He had big plans for taking Proctor Odoaker’s place because of the trouble these off-worlders had caused.  The rat-faced man started another spattering of _skrunilec_ chants.

Daniel held his breath.  He’d rolled the dice, now he waited for the verdict.  He heard the protests flying around the small room and saw many men waving fists in the air.  But he had eyes only for the old man that he had liked, before all hell had broken lose.  Even now, Daniel could understand his position, not that he agreed with it, but the law was the law.

Two loud crashes brought the assembled to order.  The Proctor stood and addressed all present.

“Never before has a man offered penance for a woman.  This is the cause of the outrage, Dr. Jackson.  And for you to offer yourself for both women—” the man shook his head and dropped his gaze before he continued, “I have accepted your sacrifice.  Your conditions are also agreeable.”

The room detonated into chaos.  It was so loud, Daniel wanted to put his hands over his ears— his head threatening to split in two.  Several more soldiers came running in to keep the crowd from rioting.  It took a good fifteen minutes to get the throng under control enough for the Proctor to speak again.

“As you are a man, you cannot be put to death.  Dr. Daniel Jackson, by the laws of this country, you have been convicted and sentenced.  You will live the remainder of your life on _The Island_.  I know that your world has more advanced technology and may try to mount a rescue, but I implore you— on your honor, that you will concede to your fate.  Only I have the authority to pardon you.”

“I will adhere to your mercy, Proctor, on my honor,” Daniel replied quietly.

“Then this case is dismissed.”

The crash of the stone echoed through Daniel as he closed his eyes and sunk into his chair.  Vala and his teammates were going to be safe.  That was all that mattered.

The crowd was being stirred up even more by Sitrik.  The guards had to push them literally out of the room.  When the place was quiet again, Daniel was able to breathe.  A hand on his shoulder startled him.  Looking up, the Proctor stood before him, kindness shown in his sad eyes.

“As you are from another planet and are bound to the two women, I grant you an audience with them before they leave.  Dr. Jackson,” he said, shaking his head in admiration.  “Never have I seen such selflessness shown by a man to a woman.  You are inspirational.  When the treaty is signed between our country and that of Sengo, I sincerely hope that your world and ours can have peaceful relations.”

Daniel did not tell him that if Jack had any say about it, it would be a cold day in hell before Earth would consider any sort of pact with these backwater, male chauvinistic, pompous _asses_.  Naquadria or not.  But why make matters worse for himself?

He smiled slightly, “Thank you, Proctor.”

“One question— why?  Why are you so willing to give up freedom for the rest of your life because of these women?”

Daniel straightened, “Because it’s the _right_ thing to do,” then he added with a hitch in his voice, “and Vala is— my love and my life.  I could not stand to see her, or Sam, die for something as stupid as this.”

The Proctor’s eyes were moist with emotion, “You are an extraordinary man, Daniel Jackson.  My heart goes with you and I will make sure that when the laws of this land change for the better, you will be the first to have your freedom.”

The old man turned to go when Daniel stopped him.  “Proctor, what is _skrunilec_?”

With a great sigh, he answered, “It is a vulgar expression for people that wish to have freedom from the segregation laws.  It means, _defiler_ — one that does not respect the gender apartheid.  I do not condone this term.”

After the Proctor had left the room, Sitrik slinked in.  The weasel faced man sneered at Daniel.  Standing beside the condemned man, he kicked the chair out from under him with amusement.

“You are a disgrace to the male species.  The way you touch and…” with a look of utter revulsion on his face, he continued, “kiss that, that… unclean thing.”

“She is a human being and worth infinitely more than you!” Daniel said rising from the floor.

Sitrik took the Proctor’s heavy gavel stone and hit Jackson across the face.  Daniel was again on the floor with a crash, blood again coursing down his chin from his mouth.  That was it.  He’d disliked this man from the moment he laid eyes on him.  Surging up, the usually peaceful explorer, grabbed the man, shoving him against the wall.  Daniel put his arm across his throat, holding him still.  Eyes wide with terror, Sitrik tried to call out, but could not.

With venom in his eyes, Daniel said in a low, growling voice, “Regardless of the situation, no matter how hopeless the outcome may be.  I will _never_ quit, and I will _never_ back down.  You have messed with _my_ family, _my_ clan, _my_ pack.  I am patient and will wait until I see a weakness—”

The door burst opened and soldiers rushed Daniel, tackling him.  After a quick wrestling match, they had the off-worlder subdued and cuffed.  After they picked him up, the guards shoved him towards the door.  As Daniel passed, the arrogant little man spat in his face and said, “Enjoy your banishment, _skrunilec_.”

He was taken from the council chambers to the local jail.  There he was processed into their system.  They dressed him in the blue shirt and pants required of all prisoners.  An identification chip was inserted into his arm and he was given his new ‘name.’  Daniel was now known only as P-24601.

Shackled at the waist with his hands cuffed in front he was also placed in leg irons.  They even took his glasses away.  A soldier tried to get the torque off, but Jackson began to fight them, kicking and screaming that it could not come off.  As none of the men could get a good hold on it to unbend the thing, they gave up.

“You won’t last a day on _The Island_ , _skrunilec_.  ‘Specially with that on you,” one of the guards grunted at him.

When all that was done, they took him to a small room.  There he sat for quite a long time, unsure of what was going to happen.  He was so tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep.  The door opened and Sam came in with Vala close behind.  Neither woman noticed the chains that bound their friend.

“Daniel!” Sam exclaimed, “they are letting us go!  How did you manage it?  You look terrible!”

Vala ran over to him as Sam spoke.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.  Then she spotted the manacles.  With eyes wide, her face shown with confusion, then terror as understanding came to her.

“No!” she whispered, then screamed, “NO!!!  You can’t do this!  I just got you back.  NOOOO!!!”

Sam then saw the chains, “Daniel— what did you do?”

“The laws here favor men, Sam.  I offered myself in exchange for yours and Vala’s freedom.  Cam is with Teal’c waiting for you two and SG-2.  The treaty has been postponed for the time being… and probably forever, if I know Jack.”

By now, Vala was beside herself with rage.  Rage at the laws, rage at the situation, and rage at Daniel for putting himself in harm’s way— yet again!

“You and Vala would have been put to death.  As a man, I can’t be.  You have go home… both of you, and don’t return.”

Vala’s screamed at him, “No, no… no!  I won’t leave you!  They can’t make me leave you!!”

Daniel wished he could hold her, “Vala… love, this was the only way I could save you.  I had to do it.”

As he closed his eyes, he saw both women escorted to the Stargate.  Sam was struggling with Vala to get her through it, but the Colonel won and they were gone— Safe— Home.  When he opened his eyes, he saw the tears running down Sam’s swollen face.  Vala was plastered to him, hanging on for dear life.

“How will we be able to get you back?” Carter asked in hushed tones.

“The law…You have to use their directives.  It’s the only way, short of full-out assault.  Maybe you can use the trade agreement to my advantage.  I don’t know if that would work, but you can try.  And Sam… I gave my word that I wouldn’t try to escape.  You have to make sure Jack knows that.  And make sure that only _men_ come back here.”

Four soldiers in their hazmat suits came into the room.  Two collared Carter with their catch-poles.  The others had a hell of a time trying to pry the dark haired woman away from their prisoner— without touching her, even though they were in protective gear.

“WAIT!  STOP!  Just— just give me a moment,” Jackson yelled at the soldiers, trying to get in between them and Vala.  “I’ll get her to leave with you… just… let me speak to her.”

The hazmat guards looked at each other, then nodded in agreement.  Neither of them relished the idea of having to touch the woman any more than what was strictly needed.

Turning back to his love, Daniel nuzzled her.  “Vala…Vala… you _have_ to go.  I will not watch you burn to death again.  Help the SGC to find a loophole in their laws.  And take care of Aisling for me.  I know she won’t understand why I’m not with you.”

Unable to hold her in his arms, he clutched at her hands.  Placing his forehead to hers and looking into her tear stained and purpling face, he tried to let her know just how much he treasured her.  Vala kissed him, holding on to him fiercely.

He whispered, “I know you guys will find a way to get me out.  Please, my love… go with Sam and be safe.   _Is é mo ghrá duit síoraí **[i]**_.”

Straightening her shoulders and assuming the air of her former defiant life, Vala kissed him once more, then turned and walked out the door.

Sam looked back to him and said,  “We’ll find a way to rescue you, Daniel.  I swear it.  We leave no one behind!”

He nodded his head sadly, “Don’t let Cam and Teal’c storm the castle.  It’s best if you follow the letter of the law.  Tell Jack that I’m fine and can wait for you to find a peaceful way to end this.  And Sam, make sure Vala doesn’t try anything… stupi…” he couldn’t finish as his voice failed and the tears came.

* * *

 

_19 May 2009 — Planet Designation: P5X-221 — 06:00 hours_

 

Daniel was roughly shoved into the back of what could only be described as a truck.  It’s canvas top tattered and the engine sounded like it was in serious need of a tune-up.  The guards laughed as he fell.  Someone picked him up and punched him in the gut.  Doubling over, Daniel spat blood from his mouth.  He wasn’t sure how much more punishment his body would take.  Just as the guard was about to strike him again, a sharp voice stopped him.

“If you hit that man again, I will make sure you will join him on _The Island_ ,” the Proctor said as he walked up to the truck.

The soldier snapped to attention.

“I am sorry, Dr. Jackson, for the treatment by my staff,” he apologized as he climbed into the truck and sat across from him.

Daniel spat another glob of blood before turning to him, “Whatever.  Do they treat all prisoners this way?”

Odoaker looked away for a moment, “It is because of what you did, Daniel.  Many consider your _sacrifice_ for women as an insult.  To them, you are even worse than a murderer.”

The chained man slowly shook his head, “I thought you said that things were changing for the better… _sir_.”  He emphasized the last word with a passable O’Neill impression.

“It takes time, Dr. Jackson.  Surely social changes on your planet do not happen overnight.”

Daniel let out a short, derisive laugh, “No… no, they don’t.  There’s still a lot of prejudice in my country alone.”

“Then you know the difficulty in changing people’s mind of things inherently taught from birth.  However, what you have done will light a fire in the hearts of many.”

“ _If you immediately know the candlelight is fire, the meal was cooked a long time ago_ ,” Daniel said quietly.

“Sir, we’re going to take the prisoner to guardhouse now,” a soldier told the Proctor.  “You’ll have to get out… sir.”

The old man shook his head, “No, I think that I’ll ride along.”

“Um… sir?” the guard looked barely out of boyhood, “Then you should ride up in front with us, sir.  You should not taint yourself with this filth.”

“I shall ride back here with Dr. Jackson, son.  You may tell the driver to proceed.”

Daniel stared at the man with a small amount of fondness restored.  He could tell that the Proctor truly felt sick about this whole mess.  He gave the man a slight smile, “On to Botany Bay.”

“What is _Botany Bay_?” the older man asked as the truck started out.

Jackson let out a painful sigh.  “On Earth, a long time ago, one of the biggest continents, an island also, was the penal colony for another country.  Botany Bay was where the ships dropped off prisoners.  It eventually became a country of its own called Australia.”

The Proctor hummed thoughtfully, “I can only hope something like that will happen here.  I do not think it will come in my lifetime though.”

“But you’ve started something here, Proctor.  Something that needed to be started.”

A large bump sent both men jolting forward.  Daniel fell to his already sore knees since his hands were bound and he couldn’t catch himself.  The old man reached out to help him up.  When he was back sitting, the Proctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a key.  He unlocked Daniel’s shackles for him.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Please, call me Odoaker.  Actually, I wish to learn more about your world, Daniel.”

“That would take a long time, Odoaker.  On my world, there are seven continents, around 195 countries and 6,800-6,900 distinct languages.  Not to mention about 21 major religions.”

“Oh my,” the gentleman said in awe.  “On one planet?  And… and you know about all of them?”

Daniel chuckled, “I know a little about a lot of them.  And more about a few.  For example; I’m fairly sure that your ancestors come from our planet, probably from the north of continent we now we call Europe.  That’s why most of your people are blonde and blue eyed.  Perhaps the words Germania, Nordic or Scandia may mean something to you?”

Odoaker shook his head.

Heaving a sigh, he shrugged his shoulder and continued, “At any rate, many of our countries are at war with each other over religion, land… food supplies.  I sometimes think they fight just because their parents did so.  Still… it’s all a terrible waste.”

“It sounds like you don’t approve of war, Daniel.  And yet… you are a soldier.”

He laughed for real this time, “I’m not a soldier.  I’m a scholar.  I’m the team’s linguist and archeologist.  My skills are mainly used for peaceful contact with new peoples.”

Odoaker eyed him, “You handle a weapon rather well for a scholar.”

“Hazards of being on a military team for twelve years,” he replied quietly.  “I’ve done my share of killing though… a fact I’m not proud of.”

Nodding understandably, “I can tell that you are a man of peace.  It is a shame that you’ve been forced to do what you despise.”

“Yeah… well… I still wouldn’t trade it for all the gold in a Ha’tak.  Just recently, I was injured and unable to walk for several months, so my future with SG-1 became uncertain.  This was my first mission back on the team,” Daniel explained rubbing his aching head.

“How were you injured?”

Daniel ran his hands through his hair, then rubbed his sore wrists.  “My legs were crushed in a cave-in.  I was pushing Vala out of the way when the ceiling came down on top of me.”

“You must really love her.”

With a sad smile, he nodded, “But I didn’t completely know it at the time.”

“Really?”  Odoaker seemed shocked, “I wish the men of this world would show such gallantry.”

“She’s a member of my team.  I would have done the same thing for anyone though.”

“I believe it,” the old man replied.  “How is it that you walk and with no limp?”

With a fond smile, Daniel’s eyes slid out of focus at remembering, “A race of beings called Tuatha Dé Danann took me in and replaced my legs.”

“Replaced them?”

“Yeah… um— I had to have them amputated, and these… _people_ were able to heal me.  They gave me this too,” he said as he pointed to his torque.  “It can never come off.  The penalty is rather, well, let’s just say— if I value my sanity, it _can’t_ come off.”

The older man’s eyes widened, “I’ll try to make sure that won’t happen, but keep it hidden as best you can.  Tell me, how many other species have you meet in your travels?”

“Oh… too many to number, Odoaker.  Anyway, guess I won’t be meeting anymore now.”

The Proctor looked away, “Ah, my boy.  I’m going to do everything I can to get you home to your girl.”

Daniel nodded, “Thank you.”

The truck turned into a compound and stopped at a gate.  The two men could hear the soldiers talking and then a gate opening up to let the truck pass.  Daniel could see a very long bridge that would take him to the penal colony soon.  It reminded him of some of the bridges he had seen in Florida.

Odoaker turned to Daniel, “I’m afraid I have to put the cuffs back on now, son.”

Jackson nodded his head and held out his hands.  Just as soon as the manacles were in place, the soldiers opened the back of the truck.  They helped Proctor Odoaker down and ushered him a little ways away.  The old man turned just as a guard shoved Daniel out.  He landed hard in the mud and had the wind knocked out of him.

“STOP!!!” Odoaker yelled at the guards.  “I have told you already; this man is not to be treated this way!”

The soldier bowed in acquiesces and moved to help the prisoner up.  They followed the Proctor into the small gatehouse.  Once inside, they shoved Daniel into a chair to complete his paperwork.  The old man sat next to him after telling the clerk that he needed to see the warden.

A huge, burly man came out into the office lobby looking very grumpy.  He schooled his features as soon as he saw the Proctor.  Standing at attention the man saluted.

“Sir,” his voice was deep and gravely, “I didn’t know you were coming today, Proctor.  I would have had a detail escort you.”

The older man raised a hand in acknowledgment, “There was no need for that, Corwin.  I am here to make sure my wishes are known for this prisoner,” he indicated to Daniel.  “He is not to be harmed in any way.  He has around his neck a collar that is NOT to be touched.  I will be making regular visits to make sure that you comply with my wishes.  Am I understood?” he finished with a glare.

“Yes, Proctor.  All will be adhered to as ordered,” the big man replied,  “but once he is out on _The Island,_ we can’t do much to protect him.”

Odoaker leveled withering look at the warden, “Make no mistake; if this man is harmed in any way, I will consider it an affront to myself, and will relieve you of your duties.”

Corwin nodded, but the Proctor knew he did not like this edict.

Three guards came out and took Daniel by the arms.  The bound man stopped beside the older man.

“Thank you for your care, Odoaker.  I sincerely hope there will be a time that we can sit and talk together,” Jackson told him quietly.

“I will come and see you when I can, Daniel.  Be safe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [i] Is é mo ghrá duit síoraí – My love for you is eternal


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

_19 May 2009 — Earth: SGC — 03:10 hours_

 

Vala had to be sedated once more.  By the time they got back to the SGC she was in a towering rage.  When Jack saw her but not Daniel and then an injured Mitchell, he tried to slam his fist through the briefing room window.  It didn’t help.  Before leaving for the infirmary, after Dr. Lam had x-rayed and casted his broken hand, the General called a meeting.

Teal’c and General Landry were sitting at the table waiting for Carter and Jack to return from the infirmary.  They arrived preceded by Aisling.

“In his own inimitable way, it appears that our Daniel has gotten himself into a _bag of dicks_.  Now we have to figure out a way to rescue his ass.  First, Carter, what the fuck happened?” asked O’Neill, heatedly.

Sam looked down at the table.  She was beside herself with gilt.  With a deep sigh, she looked her superior officer in the eye.

“It was mine and Vala’s fault.  Daniel told us not to have any weapons, but neither of us felt comfortable without some sort of defense.  We were discovered and the region’s police arrested us.  Colonel Mitchell was knocked out when he tried to help us.  They took him back to the ‘gate.  By the laws of P5X-221, Vala and I were to be executed by fire immediately.  Daniel found a way to save us by offering himself in exchange for our freedom.”

She sighed and continued, “Because he is a man, he could not be put to death, only imprisoned.  Daniel told me before we left, that the way to get him home would be to work with their laws.  He also said that we should only let men go back to the planet, and not to let you— quote, _storm the castle_ , end of quote.”

“Why the hell weren’t you with them?” he fumed at Teal’c.

“I could not enter, O’Neill.  I did inform the base of this matter.  Jaffa are not allowed,” the big man replied with no ill will.  He knew how passionate his leader was about his team, even if it wasn’t really his any longer.

Jack looked as if he was going to hit something again, but Hank put a hand on his shoulder to cool him a bit, and Aisling jumped into his lap.  For some reason, the cat calmed him almost immediately.

“It seems to me, that we need to call J.A.G. back again,” said Landry.  “Luckily, we had the law book scanned.  Colonel Carter, I want to have your report on my desk at 07:00 tomorrow.  I want details of what you saw and heard.  Please get with Ms. Mal Doran as soon as she is calm enough to work with you on that report, and the same with Colonel Mitchell if he’s well enough.  I should be tired of saying this, but…  We have to find a way to bring Dr. Jackson home.”

“How long would it take for us to send a ship after him?” Jack asked.  “Why waste our time in figuring out how to get him back with their stupid laws?  We can just go there and beam him up.  Problem solved.”

There was a murmur of agreement around the table.  General Landry considered the idea.  Standing up, he went to the phone and called Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman to come to the briefing room.  When the little sergeant came in, Landry motioned for him to sit down.

“Walter, where is our fleet right now?”

 _The Daedalus_ is in Pegasus and _The Hammond_ just arrived in Atlantis and is not scheduled to return for two weeks.   _The Odyssey_ is in dry dock for retrofitting.  She’ll be out of commission for at least a month.  However, _The Eos_ is about three weeks away, sir.  They may be able to get here a little sooner if they push her to the limit,” he answered quickly, “but they are still working out some of the kinks with her new hyper-drive engine.  Her Asgard core is off line for the foreseeable future and she can only move at slow speeds.  She hasn’t really completed her shakedown voyage yet, sir.”

Carter turned to him, “Is she near any Stargate that we can go and meet her?”

“Um,” he considered a moment, “yes, I believe she is close to M6P-286.  Maybe a day or two away.”

Even with the grave nature of the meeting, everyone couldn’t help but be impressed with Walter’s ability to rattle off where every ship was and which planet was closest.

“If we could meet _The Eos_ there, it shouldn’t take too much time to get to P5X-221,” Carter said.  “If I have my calculations right, it should only take a couple of weeks to get to Volzar from there.”

Jack leaned back in his chair, his wounded hand in a sling, the other was petting Aisling.  “Hank, I think we should call _The Eos_ and tell them to stay put.  We will go meet her and leave for P5X- _this is a fucked up planet_ \- from there.”

“Are you planning on going too, General?” Landry asked him, knowing the answer already.

“You bet your ass I am.  And when I get my hands on him this time…” he let the statement trail off as he saw Vala stormed into the room, followed by Cam who was looking a little worse for wear.

Mitchell sat near Teal’c and the raven-haired woman took an empty chair next to Carter.  Aisling went to her immediately and snuggled.  “So… when are we getting Daniel back?” she demanded as she stroked the cat.

“Workin’ on the plan now,” Jack told her in a firm voice.

“How long will it take?”

“We are just discussing that, Ms. Mal Doran,” Landry told her.

“I’m going with.  I won’t stay here and wait like a dutiful girlfriend!” Vala said with just a little venom.

“ _All_ of SG-1 will be going, princess,” Cam replied, “we’re not losing him again.”

Aisling looked at Mitchell and gave a loud meow.  He smiled at her and nodded, “You too, Aisling.  Maybe you will bring us some of that Irish luck.  We could all use some.”

Satisfied, the cat settled back on Vala with an air of superiority.

Teal’c made a slight motion with his hand, “I believe that DanielJackson told us to use their laws to help him.  I do not think that just beaming him out of prison is what he had in mind.”

“He’s right, sir.  Daniel told me he gave his word that he wouldn’t try to escape.”

“Ya’ know, I really don’t care _what_ he had in mind,” Jack said roughly.

Cam looked over to General Landry, “Sir, why don’t ask some of the J.A.G people to go with us?  They can look over the laws en route and if they find something, great.  If not, we’d be ready to extract Jackson.  Fair enough?”

Landry looked at O’Neill and shrugged, “Sounds good to me, Jack.”

Jack let out an exasperated sigh and nodded, “Just as long as we get him back.”

“And then I’m gonna kill’em!” Vala murmured loud enough for all to hear.

“Walter, go and contact _The Eos_ and tell them to head to M6P-286 and wait for SG-1 to arrive.”

* * *

 

 _  
_ _20 May 2009 — Planet Designation: P5X-221 — 13:20 hours_

 

After the Proctor and soldiers left in the truck, things turned ugly for Daniel.  A guard roughly shoved him forward into a hallway.

“Where do you want me to put him, sir?” the big guard asked.

Corwin turned his piggy eyes towards Daniel with a sneer.  “Put him in the holding vault for now. We got a couple more comin’ from Segno.  Might as well take’em all out to _The Island_ at the same time.”

The man with Daniel smiled, “Sure thing, Warden.”

Taking the condemned man by his arm, the soldier lead him into the back to a small cell.  As soon as they were out of sight from the front office, the man punched Daniel in the kidneys.  As he fell to the ground with a thud, he heard the man above him laugh.

“You know what, P-24601, we have a saying around here.  What the Proctor doesn’t know… won’t hurt us.”

“Funny.  We have the same saying where I’m from too,” Daniel told him painfully.  That earned him a kick to the ribs.

Pulling his head back by the hair, the guard spit in his face, “You gonna get pounced on the minute you set foot on _The Island_ , P-24601.  Seeings as you’re soooo pretty.  Segno prisoners alone will eat you up.”

“Yeah, well… I’ll take my chances out there where my hands are free,” he growled.

“Oh, you think yourself a fighter, eh?” picking him up from the floor, the guard uncuffed his hands and legs.  “Let’s see what you’ve got P-24601.”

Daniel moved quickly and caught his tormentor in the throat with his fist.  The big man stumbled backward choking with a shocked look on his face.  He certainly was not expecting that.  With an angry yell, he ran at Jackson.  Turning on the spot, Daniel kicked his would-be attacker in the gut.

“My name is Daniel!”

“You got some moves, son,” the guy coughed.

“I work for the military.  They trained me well.”

The big guard blocked a hit from Daniel and punched him square in the nose.  It exploded with a dizzying crack and he hit the floor.  Blood gushed out both nostrils and he could hear a ringing in his ears.

“Your name is P-24601 now.  Better get used to it.”

Just as the guard started after him again, Corwin walked in.  “What the—” he yelled, “Ignatius, put the cuffs back on that man and leave him alone.  You heard what the Proctor said.  No one touches this guy.  Got it?”

The other man glared at his superior.  Naturally, he was used to being able to rough up the prisoners.  He nodded reluctantly and moved to put handcuffs back onto P-24601.

“Get him cleaned up you fool.  Damn!  You got woodchips for brains,” Corwin grumbled as he left the room.

Ignatius pulled Daniel up off the floor and tossed him onto a chair.  He put the hand and leg irons back on his prisoner before he left for a moment.  When he came back, it was with a dirty, wet cloth, which he threw at P-24601.

It was hard to reach his nose with the cuffs looped through the waist chain, but Daniel managed to get the bleeding to die down a bit.  Left alone, he closed his eyes for a moment, trying to ease his headache.

It was quite some time before the others arrived.  Soon he was on the move to his new home.  They put the three men in the back of a truck and started over the bridge.  The ride wasn’t very long after they were off the bridge, but the lack of real roads on _The Island_ made it seem forever before they got where they were to be left.  He knew how big the island was and that it was mostly wilderness, but with the hazy-grey day and steady rain, the place looked down right bleak.

Daniel was to be taken to the Southfield Camp with the two other prisoners.  On the way, Daniel studied the other two men.  Neither looked like criminals to him.  One seemed very educated, and the other clean-cut with soulful eyes.  The Tau’ri man was about to ask them why they were on the way to prison when they arrived at their destination.  The guards pushed the three men out of the truck, laughing.  Taking their shackles off, the three men were all handed duffle bags.

“I’d say good luck, but…” the big one that had fought Daniel just smirked and then the soldiers left.

Once the truck was gone, his fellow convicts took off away from the little village that was close by.  Rubbing his sore wrists and wondering if he should follow them, Daniel looked around.  The place resembled a Native American reservation he had been to for an archeology dig when he was doing his grad work at the University of Chicago.  Ramshackle huts were like the Cherokee _wattle_ homes or _asi_ in their native language.  They were made by weaving thin strips of wood, and vines into a frame.  Then the frame was coated with what Daniel surmised as the red mud that was in copious amounts.  The roof was thatched with grass giving the homes a Christmas look with the green tops and red walls.  Built in a semi-circle around a sizable well, there was an opening at both ends of the main strip.  No one was in view, but there was smoke rising from several of the homes.

Picking up the small duffle issued to him, he rummaged through it.  There were the basic supplies— a razor, a comb, a few items that resembled food, a lighter, and a moth-eaten blanket.  Looking at the outside, it had his number blazoned on the side, P-24601.  That was who he had become now… no name, just a number.

He heaved a sigh and looked back at the dwellings.  Daniel really wished they hadn’t taken his glasses.  Then he remembered what Jack had told him when they were incarcerated on the prison planet of Hadante.

 _“Oh Danny, you gotta trust me on this,”_ he said as he took Daniel’s glasses off of him, _“signs of weakness are not a good thing in prisons.”_

“Well, another thing I learned from you, Jack.  Never thought I’d need that tidbit of information again.”

Hitching the pack over his shoulder, he went to the well at the center of the little community.  Pulling up the bucket he splashed cool water on his face to try and ease the pain.  His ribs ached, his nose throbbed, hell— it would be a shorter list of what _didn’t_ hurt.  Daniel placed his fingers on either side of his nose, took a deep breath, and cracked it back into place.  The pain was intense and he became dizzy.

Before he fell over, he sat beside the well in the mud and leaned his head back.  Closing his eyes he hoped to catch a glimpse of Vala, but no vision came.  He wondered if that meant she was too far away for him to keep track of her.  His heart sank and his eyes dulled.  It had been almost 48 hours since he had last slept.  Even with his mind racing, he soon fell into a restless sleep.

It started to drizzle while he slept there in the mud.  Although he was exhausted, his senses alerted him that something wasn’t right.  He woke up cold and wet— and with company.  A young boy sat in front of Daniel.  The child gave him a lopsided grin.  Rubbing his eyes, Daniel sat up a little more.

“Um… hi,” the man said to the boy as he held out his hand.  “My…my name’s Daniel.”

The boy just looked at the offered hand and cocked his head to the side, confused.  After a few moments, he stuck out his own small hand beside Daniel’s.  With a soft laugh, the man took the boy’s hand and shook it.

“Do you have a name?” he asked with eyebrows raised.

“Uh huh.”

“Will you tell it to me?” Daniel asked, amused at the boy.

“Branimir, but people call me Bran,” the towheaded boy answered.  “And you are P-24601.”

“Yeah— I guess I am, Bran, but people call me Daniel,” he said then looked back to the huts.  “Do you know if any of those places are empty?”

“No, but we have an extra spot you can have.  You look like a nice guy.”

Daniel laughed, “Thanks.  Do you live here in the penal colony?”

“I was born here.  _The Island_ is my home.  I don’t know what a pe-nile col-lo-ni-ny is.  But I live with my mom.”  The boy pointed to the last hut on the edge of the forest.  “I’m sure she won’t mind, P-246… I mean, Daniel.  Come on!”

Bran grabbed his hand and pulled.  Jackson got to his feet and followed the boy to his home.  A few faces gazed out dirty windows as the two passed.  They seemed only curious about the newcomer.  There were skins laid out on wooden racks for drying, and a few furs.  Some of the homes were bigger than others and all of them were raised off the ground on stilts that were a little over half a meter high.  At the end of the one side of the circle was a long hut which Daniel presumed was a meeting place.  The forest butted up to the homes on the right, and flat, bare, plains were behind those on the left.  A muddy track split the village in two.  As they neared the hut that Bran called home, Daniel saw that it was one of the bigger ones, with smoke curling above the roof.  The whole village would have been picturesque if it weren’t so drab and forlorn.

Bran burst in the door yelling, “Mama!  Mama!  We have a new roommate!”

“Now hang on, Bran, your mom might not want a strange man living in her home with her son.  I could be anyone.  Remember… I’m a prisoner.”

“Not many here are prisoners anymore.  We just consider ourselves as a free people.  The men of Ertieg or Sengo do not govern us.  My name is Serin.  Welcome to _The Island_.”

She was comely if not a little worn, with hair the color of the sun.  Her smile could warm up the coldest hearts, but he hardly noticed.  He only saw kindness.

“Daniel.  Daniel Jackson.  Now known as P-24601,” he said as he lifted his little duffle bag, pointing to the number.  “Your son here said you might have a space available for me.  I won’t be any bother, I just want to get some sleep out of the rain and mud.”

Serin smiled and motioned for him to follow her.  She took him to a room off the kitchen.  It was small, but it had a bed and a chest of drawers with a small mirror hanging above it.

“Will this be okay, Daniel?” she made sure that he noticed she called him by his name.

Nodding he gave her a small grin, “More than okay, but I can’t pay you.  They took all my possessions and I doubt you could use any of them here anyway.”

Serin waved the offer away and said, “You look exhausted and you’re wet.  There is warm water over the fire and I have some of my husband’s old clothes that will probably fit you.  Rest.  I’ll have Bran forage some more mushrooms for dinner.”

“Serin,” Daniel said softly, “you are very generous. Thank you.”

She smiled and left the room.  When she came back, she had some clean dry clothes for him.  After he had finished washing off the mud and blood that was caked on his face and changed his soiled clothes, his new benefactor had him sit by the fire while she tended to his wounds.

Serin handed him a cup of some steaming liquid and said, “Drink this.  It will ease some of the pain and help you sleep soundly.”

Daniel was about to protest, but when he turned, his ribs screamed at him, and he took the offered drink.  It was bitter, hot and felt wonderful going down.  It was also fast working.  He could feel the weariness take him and Serin ushered him to his room.  He laid down on the lumpy, but warm bed and sighed.  As soon as his eyes closed, he saw Jack and Sam standing on the bridge of a ship.  The vision fogged then cleared and he could see Vala sitting in a room, staring out of the window into the blackness of space, Aisling curled on her legs.  She was safe and he knew it.  With a smile, he went to sleep.

* * *

 

_22 May 2009 — Planet Designation: P5X-221 — 11:40 hours_

 

Daniel slept for two days.  When he stumbled out of his room, disheveled and yawning, he was surprised that the sunlight hadn’t moved much across the floor.  When Serin told him he had been out for two days, he couldn’t believe it.  He _never_ slept that long in one sitting.  At least not when he wasn’t drugged.  Maybe the stuff that Serin gave him was more powerful than he thought.  He also figured that because the days on this planet were only 18 hours long helped a bit too.  The housewife steered him to the table and soon there was a bowl of hot mushroom soup placed in front of him.  As they ate, Serin told her guest about his new home.

“There really haven’t been prisoners here for… oh, I don’t know… maybe fifty years.  The people that are sent here from Ertieg and Segno are supposed to be prisoners.  However, a lot of them are just folks wanting freedom from oppression,” Serin said.

“So… what then?  _The Island_ is an independent country?” he asked around a mouthful of soup.

“I guess you could call us a country.  We choose not to let the others know about us, though.  The guards only come in if there is a problem or when they are dropping off people, so they don’t know that we govern ourselves.  They are not the brightest stars in the sky.”

He laughed at that, as he tore into a hunk of bread.  Still more questions were whirling around his head.  He had not expected this at all.  Daniel wasn’t sure what he was anticipating, but it definitely wasn’t this.  Remembering his conversation with the Proctor on his way to the guard station, he realized that this indeed was like Australia.  But how were they keeping it a secret?

“Don’t the guards wonder about the children here?  Bran can’t be the only one,” he asked.

“We have a lookout by the bridge that lets us know when there’s a drop-off so the kids scatter, but there are around 20 here in Southfield Camp.  Maybe a few more in Northfield Camp.  The camps are like an outpost, so not a lot of families live here.  It’s more of a ruse so Ertieg and Segno think we live in squalor and leave us alone.  Most of our population is much farther inland where our main city is.  It’s a small city surrounded by the forest and can’t be seen by water; not that they ever come looking.  In the city there are— I’m not really sure— I think there must be about 600 maybe 700 people living there.”

This was overwhelming news to Daniel.  He felt nothing but admiration for these people.  So different from either of the other two nations.  How have they been keeping this a secret?

“This is just— wow!” he said.  “If I had to stay here very long, I might actually enjoy living here.”

Serin looked at him confused, “No one ever leaves _The Island_ , Daniel.  Why would they want to?  Northfield Camp is a farming community that supplies the island with food.  We are artisans and hunters here at the Southfield Camp.  We trade our kills and crafts for grain.  There are schools for the children and a medical hut in both camps.  Even though we don’t live in the city, we are still considered citizens of _The Island_.  We vote and have elections every two years for council members that govern us.  The men and women are equal here and that’s the way we like it.  We may be prisoners to Ertieg and Segno, but to us… we are free.”

“Don’t your families wonder what’s become of you?” Daniel asked.

“For most of us, our families are here.  We do have a way to communicate with the resistance.  There is a system in place that helps defectors make it onto _The Island_ without the guards seeing anything.  We make sure the outpost looks like a prison and that there is room if any real _prisoners_ that are dropped off.  Still, most people that come here want to be here: just folks that are sick of the laws of separation or being forced to work in the mines.”

“So, no real criminals?  I can’t be the only one to come here involuntarily.”

“In the beginning there were a few problems with the _detainees_.  Soon, though, it was more and more social activists ending up here.  The ones that wrote papers and organized protests.  They are the ones that built the city and began our free government.  When the hardcore believers came here as convicts, the ones that ruffled the wrong feathers, they really helped to get all of this organized.  But if someone is violent or tries to disrupt our way of living, well, let’s just say… they don’t last too long here.  The laws take care of them.”

“Capital punishment?” Daniel asked astonished.

Serin shook her head, “Not in that we actually kill them.  Think forced banishment.  They have to try and survive on the west side of the island.  There, you can’t farm because of the minerals in the soil.  There isn’t much game to hunt and the fishing is spotty at best.  Most of those that are sent there are never seen again.”

“How do you get the ones that want to come here, here?”

“We have sympathizers in Ertieg that knows about us.  If someone wants out of the system, they lets us know.  The one in charge of getting defectors to the launch site is rather high in Ertieg’s political party. They are smuggled over in a boat at night.  Many years ago, someone found a weak spot in the dome and we can get people through that way.  It only gives a small jolt when they pass the border.  And because they aren’t convicted, they have no chip to alert the warden.”

“Proctor Odoaker, he’s your contact… right?” Daniel figured.

Serin smiled and said, “You’re good, Daniel.  Maybe you should teach at the school.”

Jackson liked that idea.  If he was going to be here for any length of time, he might as well enjoy it, but then he thought of Vala and his heart cried for her.

Shaking his head, he looked down, “I have someone waiting for me.  My… my girlfriend.  I promised that I would find a way to get back to her.”

Serin stared at him, “But… but you _are_ a convict, Daniel.  You had the chip put in, right?  There— you can see the red light under the skin on your arm.”

“Yeah, so?  Proctor Odoaker said he would try to find a way to free me.  And my friends, they are going to look into any loopholes the law may have.  I really don’t plan to be here very long, Serin.”

“I hope that will be true, Daniel.  The people that have the chip, though, the ones that _are_ prisoners, they can’t leave our island.  I could because I don’t have a chip.  My husband did and when he was trying to get his mother here, his boat caught the current and took him to where the border is strong and well… let’s just say, Bran is all I have now.”

Daniel looked up, apprehension in his eyes, “But, Odoaker told me…”

“Odoaker is just as much a prisoner as you are, only his prison is the law of Ertieg.  He does what he can, but he is only one man.  One man with a council of men that want nothing to do with change.”

“Well, I’ll just cut the chip out— it’s not that far under the skin,” Daniel suggested inspecting where the chip blinked malevolently in his arm.

“I’m sorry, but if you try and take it out, or if you try and leave, your… your heart will explode. Unless you can find a way to deactivate the chip, you are stuck here.  The chip is how we can live free.  The guards know that no prisoners can leave without… dying, so they leave us alone.”

Devastated, Daniel stood up and walked out the door.  Bran looked to his mom and then went after him.  Daniel walked to the well and sunk to his knees, his face in his hands.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!” The primal scream erupted from deep in his soul and he released it to the sky.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen**

_22 May 2009 — USS Eos BC-304 — 19:30 hours_

It was late, ship time at least, and Jack O’Neill was alone in the mess hall, nursing a cup of coffee.  He was flexing the fingers on his casted hand, a remnant from his run-in with the briefing room window.  The door swished open and a very haggard Vala stepped in, closely followed by Aisling.  She looked around and saw him.  As she walked towards him, he looked up and gave her a thin smile.

“Empress…” he said softly and motioned for her to sit down.  “You want something… coffee?”

“No, thank you,” she said as she took a napkin from its holder and proceeded to rip it up slowly.

“Something on your mind?” the General asked.

“You mean other than how infuriatingly slow this space bucket moves?” she said as she reached out and took his coffee to have a sip.  Grimacing, she gave it back and leveled a look at him.

“Yeah, well, other than that,” Jack said with a shrug.

“We’ll get him back… right?”

“Yes…” he said.  “We won’t leave him there, no matter what.  And then I’m chaining his ass to his office desk so he can’t get hurt, lost, or dead.”

Vala nodded distractedly, “Doubt that’ll happen.  He’s much too mulish to be cooped up… You know that.”

Jack let out a short laugh, “Yeah… I certainly do.  That’s one of the many reasons I like Daniel so much.  His tenacity and strength of conviction—  He may be a rat-bastard sometimes, but I admired Daniel.  Even his altruistic mindset for saving anyone that needs it.”  He took a sip of his coffee, then said, “that includes me.”

Vala smiled, and added, “I think what drew me to him was his passion and willingness to accept people for who they are… without judgment.  That he would stick with me— even after everything I’ve pulled.  And the doggedness to maintain his own belief, yet open minded enough to consider other ways of thinking.  Gods, Jack… I really love that… what’d you call him?”

“Rat-bastard” O’Neill laughed.

“Yeah— I really love that rat-bastard!”

They sat in reflective silence for a time, watching the stars race by.  Aisling jumped onto the table and stretched out, waiting to be petted.  Vala accepted the cat’s invitation.  With a weary sigh, Jack leaned forward across the table and took Vala’s other hand.

“I promise, Vala, we’ll get him back.  _No one gets left behind_.  That’s not just a catch phrase— it’s what I’ve always lived by.  I just hope we’ll avoid a major interplanetary incident.”

“Have the— what did you call them?  Ferrets?  Hyenas?  Have they found anything to help yet?” Vala asked as she stole another sip of his coffee.

“Sharks… and no, not that I know of.  We may have to just snatch him up.”

“He won’t like that.”

“You know… I don’t give two flying fucks what he’ll like right now.”

Vala nodded her head with a slight grin, “Good to know!”

Aisling meowed her approval also.

* * *

 

_22 May 2009 — Planet Designation: P5X-221 — 12:10 hours_

 

Bran sat with Daniel by the well while the man solemnly considered his hopeless situation.  His heart ached and he could stop the utter despair that filled him to overflowing.  The boy would pat the man’s knee every now and then.  For as young as Bran was, Daniel could tell he had a lot of empathy.  With sad, red rimmed eyes he looked at Bran.

“You must think I’m a total wimp… sitting here for feeling sorry for myself, huh?”

Bran shook his head, “I’ve seen lots of men cry when someone they love is killed or taken from them.  My Mama says it’s good for the soul to cry when nothing else will work.  She says it’s better than hurting someone… or yourself.”

“You have a very wise Mama, Bran.”

The boy smiled at his new friend, then looked puzzled, “Daniel, what’s a wimp?”

The man couldn’t help but laugh.  He reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair, “What do you call someone that… um, that doesn’t live up to expectations?”

“ _Verlierer_ , I guess.”

“That’s fitting,” Daniel said with a sigh.  He knew the word without even trying.  It was German for ‘loser.’  “Okay, enough of my pity party now.  I have to figure out how to get home.  Bran… do you know if anyone here might have a copy of the Laws of Ertieg?”

The boy thought for a while then stood up, “Come on, Daniel.  We don’t have any of the laws written down, but old Nesterio may have them in his head.  He can remember anything he’s ever read.  We always try and fool him, but it never works… He’s too smart!”

The man took the boy’s hand and stood up.  Without another word, Bran led him to Nesterio’s hut, never letting go of Daniel’s hand.  It felt good to Daniel; he could imagine what it would be like if he had his own son.  This was the first time in many years that Daniel thought about having children of his own.  Not since Sha’re had the thought crossed his mind.  Now, his love for Vala had him entertaining thoughts of family again.  All he had to do was get home to her; and the sooner, the better.

“Bran, how long has it been since your father, um… you know…”

“Died?  I think that’s the word you’re looking for,” Bran said with a smile.  “He’s been gone for three seasons.  It was a long time before my Mama smiled again.”

“I bet.  You miss your Dad?”

“Yeah, he and I went fishing together all the time.  He was teaching me how to carve too.  And we went riding on our _kôň_.  Mama had to sell him, though.”

Daniel smiled at him, “On my world, we call them _horses_.”

“ _Horses_ ,” Bran tasted the word.  “Do you know how to ride— horses?”

“Oh yeah!  My father taught me when I was very young.  I can also ride camels.  Those are like horses only much taller and they have humps on their backs.”

Daniel stopped walking and squatted down, Bran did likewise.  The man took a stick and drew in the mud a camel.

“Some camels have two humps and some only one.  They are desert animals and can go for long periods of time without water.  Do you know what a desert is?”

“Nope.”

“Well, it’s an area that is very dry because so little rain comes, unlike here.  Only meager plants can live there and sometimes none at all.  Some deserts are sandy.  That’s the kind I grew up in.  Sand as far as the eye could see.  Big rolling dunes of sand or vast, flat windblown plains.  And it got into everything you owned.  During the day it was so hot that you had to have every inch of your skin covered or you’d burn.  The nights, though— they were frigid.

“Other deserts are under a cover of snow so thick that vegetation can’t get through.  The only animals that can live there have to be very tough and be able to go a long time between meals,” Daniel told the young boy.  He was having a great time imparting his knowledge— without someone either rolling their eyes or yawning.  Jack O’Neill sprang to mind and he grinned.

Bran was fascinated with the rough drawing and all the facts his new friend was sharing.  The boy wished he could see all the places that were being described.  He smiled, turning towards Daniel; his smoky colored eyes were… like Vala’s.

Shaking his head to dissipate her image, Daniel continued, “I was born in the desert in a place called Egypt.  The first five years of my life were spent there.  When I was six, we moved to a big city, and oh boy, was it scary for me!  It was so different than Egypt.  Then both my parents died when I was a little younger than you.  I understand your feelings about missing your dad.  But you have your mom and she’s very proud of you!”

“I’m sorry for your parents, Daniel.  I am very happy to have Mama.  Even when she’s angry at me.”

They began walking again, talking about all sorts of things.  Bran told the man about his school and what he liked to play.  Daniel spoke of his schooling and some of the sports that he knew about.  It was a pleasant passage of time.

“So, how far is this Nesterio?” Daniel asked as it started to drizzle again.

They turned a corner and Bran pointed at a tiny shack with a small garden of flowers in the front yard, “There’s his place.”

Branimir knocked on the rough-hewn door and waited for an answer.  When a voice that sounded as old as the hills bade them to enter, they went into the dark dwelling.

“Ah, Branimir, my boy!”

Daniel thought the voice was old, but the image it conjured up in his mind fell short by several decades compared to its owner.

“Welcome, welcome,” Nesterio beamed at them.  “I see you’ve brought me a new member of our little community.”

“This is Daniel, Nesterio.  He came as a prisoner from Ertieg.  He has some questions about the laws,” the boy said happily to the old man.

Daniel smiled at Nesterio.  He reminded him of Ma’chello… when Ma’chello wasn’t looking like Daniel.

“Sir, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said as he shook the old man’s hand.

“Ah… such politeness!  You must be from somewhere else.  Surely you are not from Ertieg,” the elderly man said as he waved the two young ones to sit beside his fire.

“I’m from another planet.  It’s called Earth.”

Nesterio’s eyes widen and he leaned forward, “Surely… you are of the Tau’ri?  I never thought I’d meet one before I died.  Your people have been a great blessing to the universe, Daniel.”

Bran’s eyes grew wide and looked as if he’d seen a ghost.  Quietly he asked, “Are you really a Tau’ri, Daniel?”

Eyebrows furrowed in concern, he nodded.

“But… but, the Tau’ri are five meters tall, have fangs dripping with blood and can kill a Goa’uld with just a glance of their eyes!!”

“Ah, Branimir!” the old man said admonishingly, “how many times have I told you not to believe in those older boy’s stories?  You are much smarter than that.  The Tau’ri are just like us.  Human.  I’m sorry, Daniel… campfire stories of your people grow wilder every year.”

Jackson gave the boy a smile.  He would have to remember that description of the Tau’ri to tell Jack.  It was something that the General would love.

Drawing the younger man’s attention, Nesterio asked, “Our small friend here said you have questions.  What is it that I can do for you?”

“I wish to know if there is a way I can have the chip taken out without killing me?” Daniel jumped right to it, not wanting to waste time with the laws if he couldn’t leave anyway.

“Oh, my son,” Nesterio said softly, “I wish I could tell you that there was.  When I invented the chip, it was for a way to protect our herds that graze in the mountains, and it didn’t kill.  Like all benign discoveries, the High Guard took my idea and turned it into this— weapon of control.  In the beginning, when it was only prisoners here, some of the more foolhardy tried to flee _The Island_ in handmade rafts only to die as soon as they left the fishing zone.  I don’t wish to see that happen to anyone.”

The younger man dropped his head down.  That was not the answer he had been hoping for.  “Then there’s nothing I can do to stop it from working?  Jam the signal or something?”

Nesterio reached a hand across to him and patted his knee, “Ah, my boy, don’t despair.  You’re from another world and I’m sure that there are those that wish to have you home.  All is not lost.”

“It sure feels that way, sir,” Daniel sighed.

“Nesterio, he has a woman back home that’s his promised mate.  Surely the Proctor will do everything he can to help Daniel… right?”

“The Proctor is impeded by the laws, Bran.  He cannot do anything that the committee doesn’t agree too.  Why were you arrested, Daniel?”

With a long exhale, Daniel steeled himself to tell the story.  When he was finished, Nesterio had a smile on his face and a tear in his eye.

“You may have sparked something in Ertieg, my boy.  What you did will stir the sleeping giant and things will change.  Your sacrifice will be whispered throughout the land.  Men and women will call for justice and new laws,” the old man said with high hopes.  “There may yet be a way to get you home to your mate.  Maybe the time has come for our little island to rise up and be counted among the countries of Volzar.  And when that happens, we’ll no longer be considered prisoners, but free men and women.”

“I don’t want to start a revolution— I just want to go home, Nesterio.  I… I just want to get back to Vala,” Daniel said as he closed his eyes.  And then intense pain shot through his brain.

_Jack in full battle gear with Teal’c— Mitchell right behind them.  They were on a planet, but Daniel couldn’t tell which one.  Then he saw a mob of men trying to keep them from moving forward and knew that they were here.  A firefight broke out— he saw Jack go down.  Mitchell attempted to pull him to safety only to be hit himself.  Teal’c laid down cover fire and the mob backed away letting the soldiers come forward with their weapons.  Teal’c was shouting something over his shoulder and the team started back to back up._

_Next, he saw the infirmary of a ship with Jack and Mitchell under care.  Vala was standing beside Jack’s bed and seemed to be yelling at him.  The vision fogged and when it cleared, Daniel saw Vala at the controls of an F-302 flying in a low cloud cover when the ship  exploded into a million pieces._

“NOOOOO!” he cried out, startling his companions.  He fell to the ground, trying not to lose his lunch on the floor.

“Daniel, what happened?” Bran asked as he jumped up and went his side.

Taking several deep breaths, the man got himself under control, “I’m sorry, Bran.  I really can’t tell you.”

“He had a vision, young one, of something that has caused him fear and pain.  Bran, fetch some water for him.  Is there something I can do to help you, Daniel?”

Looking up at the older man, he wondered.  Would the Tuatha consider this a breach of trust that the other man had guessed his gift?  He sat in silence for several minutes, waiting for blindness or insanity to overtake him, but nothing happened.  Maybe because Nesterio didn’t know that it was a gift and assumed it was an isolated vision, the archeologist suffered no damage.

Daniel let out a sigh of relief and shook his head as he got back into his chair.  “Nesterio, how do people that aren’t prisoners get here?  Like the ones that defect.”

“There is only one place where they can cross over to _The Island_ without the guards knowing it.  It has to be done by boat and under cover of darkness.  And must be well planned out.”

“What happens if a flying ship tries to land here?”

“We don’t have flying ships, Daniel,” Bran said matter-of-factly.

“No, Bran— but we do.”

Nesterio’s eyes widened, “Oh, no.  A flying ship cannot come here.  The dome over the entire island will incinerate anything that tries to go through it.  We find parts of birds all the time that have flown too high.  No, that would be the death of any who try.”

Daniel’s face blanched.  How could he stop her from coming here?  How could he let her know that she was in danger?

“Serin said you have a way to communicate with Ertieg… can we get a message to Odoaker to let him know that my people are on their way to rescue me by a spaceship?” Daniel asked urgently.

Nodding his old and grizzled head, Nesterio said, “We will go to the station tonight and get a message out.”

* * *

 

_04 June 2009 — USS Eos BC-304 — 14:50 hours_

 

Two weeks later, Colonel Adam Freeman sat in his captain’s chair looking out over a blue and white planet.  He had already called for SG-1 to come to the bridge and was now waiting for their arrival.  They all paraded in a few moments later, coming to a stop beside the commander.

“General, we are at P5X-221.  The country of Ertieg has already radioed that they have detected our arrival.  They want to know why we are here.”

“Tell them this is a follow-up to the meeting they had with SG-1 two weeks ago,” Jack told him.

Freeman nodded to his communications operator and the message was sent.

As they waited, Jack turned to Sam and asked, “Who was the head honcho down there, Carter?”

“Proctor Odoaker,” she replied.  “I believe he’ll be sympathetic towards Daniel too.  I got that vibe off of him.”

Jack ran his good hand through his hair and looked at the view screen.

“Just to be clear… you two will _not_ be going,” he said to Vala and Carter.

“Kinda figured that, Jack,” Vala said sarcastically.

Before the General could snark back at her, the communications operator interrupted, “There’s a message coming in from Ertieg, sir.”

“Put it on the main screen, Lieutenant,” Freeman said.

The image jumped and stuttered, but it was clear enough that Sam recognized the Proctor.  She whispered that to Jack.

“Proctor Odoaker, I presume,” O’Neill said in a firm voice.  “I’m General O’Neill.  I’m here regarding a member of my team that you have imprisoned.”

The old man nodded his head, “I assumed as much, General O’Neill.  Our laws were given to you before your team came to Volzar.  I’m afraid that there is really nothing I can do to help you.”

“I really don’t want to hear that, Proctor,” Jack said angrily.  “There has to be something we can work out.  That is… if you still wish to have a trade agreement with our planet.”

“Then I’m sorry, General, we will not be able to broker a trade,” Odoaker replied.  “I see now it was a mistake to even think that this would work.”

“Aht!  Wait, wait… hold on a minute,” Jack paced in front of the viewer.  “Okay, let’s start this over.  Proctor, will you… _please_ , meet with me about Dr. Daniel Jackson?  We can beam right to your office now.”

“I will arrange for you to be picked up at the ‘No Man’s Land’ gate in the morning.  That is where all visitors must enter our world,”  the old man let out a long sigh and wiped a hand over his deeply lined face.  “And General, do _not_ bring any of your women, please.  I’ve had enough difficulty to last me the rest of my life.”

“It will just be myself, Colonel Cameron Mitchell who is Dr. Jackson’s team leader, and I will need your permission to have my personal bodyguard, Teal’c, accompanying me.  I’m aware that you do not normally let Jaffa into your country, but I’ll be insisting on this due to the treatment of my people the last time we were there.”

The Proctor nodded his head, “It is not customary to allow Jaffa entrance, but I will permit it this one time.”

* * *

 

_05 June 2009 — Planet Designation: P5X-221 — 08:00 hours_

 

The next morning on Ertieg, Jack adjusted his sunglasses as he waited for the car to come and pick them up.  He had _The Eos_ beam them right beside the Stargate.  He was still trying to figure out what he was going to do to get his friend back.  Shaking his head, he sat wearily down on the steps that led to the ‘gate.  He really was getting too old for this, he thought.

The car pulled up and stopped.  As Jack stood up the little rat-faced man, Sitrik walked into the ‘No Man’s Land.’  He seemed very giddy about something and that set Jack on his guard right away.

“You are the men the Proctor has sent me for?” he asked in his squeaky voice.

Jack made a show of looking around the empty ‘No Man’s Land’ and then back.  “Appears so.”

“I’m Sitrik, newly appointed Regent of Ertieg.  I’ll be taking you to the Proctor.  The Jaffa has to stay here.”

Jack knew that was not what was agreed on and thought, by the look of this weasel, he was trying to pull a fast one.  “The Jaffa comes too.  Proctor Odoaker has granted this already.  I’ll hear no more about it,” he said firmly.  He smiled as Sitrik went slightly pale.  “Okay then, take us to your leader.”

As the three men followed Sitrik, Cam whispered to Teal’c, “So how long do you think he’s been wanting to say that?”

Teal’c gave a grim smile, “I believe since the Chaapa’ai was first opened on Earth.”

Sitrik escorted the trio directly to the Proctor’s private chambers.

“You may leave, Sitrik,” Odoaker said firmly.  The Regent began to protest, “I will be quite safe.  The business these men have is with the Proctor alone.  I do not need any council members present, no matter what their titles may be.”

Sitrik scowled at him and slipped out the door.  With a nod of his head, Jack told Teal’c to stand guard by it.  Then, looking at Mitchell, the young colonel pulled out a handheld device and walked around the small room.  The Proctor sat and watched… amused.

“All clear, sir,” Cam reported.  “No electronic devices anywhere.”

With a satisfied smile, Jack turned to the old man.

“General O’Neill,” Odoaker began, “I have a message for you.”

Jack lifted one scarred eyebrow, “Really?  From whom?”

“Dr. Jackson.  He contacted me two weeks ago and begged me to warn you.”

“Do I sense a threat, Proctor?”

“Not from me, General.  Has your ship the ability to transport people from one point to another?” the old man asked.

Shifting uneasily, Jack said, “Yes— why do you ask?”

“How, if you will indulge me, do you locate the person you wish to move?”

“Okay, Proctor,” O’Neill was getting irritated, “I can see you know something about our beaming capabilities, so let’s cut the bullshit.  You folks have some pretty advanced technology yourselves. But I also know, you know— that we have superior firepower, in orbit as we speak.  How about we quit with the games.”

Odoaker couldn’t help but offer a slight smile at the military man.  Daniel had told him how incorrigible his friend was.  Seeing there was no need for rhetoric, he said, “When Dr. Jackson was processed as a prisoner, he had a chip inserted below the skin.  This chip can negate _any_ other form of electronic signal.”

O’Neill looked over to Cam, who keyed his radio, “Mitchell to _Eos_ , come in _Eos_.”

“ _Eos_ here, what can we do for you, sir?” the tinny voice of the operator came back.

“Please scan for Dr. Jackson’s locator beacon.”

There was a moment of silence as the four of them waited.  “I’m sorry, sir,” the disembodied voice broke the quiet, “something is interfering with the locator.  We can’t get a lock on him.”

“Roger that, _Eos_ , stand by,” Cam looked over to O’Neill and saw the anger brewing beneath the surface.

“What gives, Odoaker?” Jack asked in a clipped voice.

“When men become prisoners, they are banished to _The Island_.  We feel this is better for them as they are not cooped up in a jail vault, and better for us, as we do not have to feed, care, or guard them.  On _The Island_ you can hunt, fish— there is plenty of timber for shelter, all that they need to make a… tolerable existence.”

Jack held up a hand stopping the man, “This sounds like a thrilling tale and all, but what’s this got—”

“Please, General O’Neill, _listen_ ,” the older man emphasized.

All the off-worlders glanced at one another surprised.  Then something seemed to click for Jack.  Pulling up a chair, he sat down and said to Mitchell, “Take notes.”

“Ah… oooooookaaaaay…”

The Proctor nodded, knowing his intention was received.  He continued, “ _The Island_ is massive, and we do not have the resources to keep soldiers there to watch over the populace, so the chip was introduced.  This way, we no longer need to keep any more than a dozen men to guard the road to the prison.  Moreover, the chip has a far more sinister function than jamming frequencies.”

“And that would be?”

“If Dr. Jackson tries to leave _The Island_ , his heart will explode.  If he tries to take the chip out—”

“The same thing will happen,” Jack said taking his cap off and running a hand through his hair.  “ ** _OUTSTANDING!_** ” he barked in frustration.

“Daniel got a message to me to warn you not to try and retrieve him.  He also wanted you to make sure that, ah… Vala doesn’t attempt to fly a… what did he call it?” Odoaker scratched his head, “an F-302 down to get him.”

“Why?” Mitchell asked, “it does sound like something she would try.”

“There is a dome covering the entire island that will incinerate _anything_ that tries to fly in or out.  It cannot be seen, and it does not show on any radars.”

“This just keeps getting better and better,” Jack pinched the bridge of his nose.  “What a minute.  How did Daniel know we were coming on a ship?”

Odoaker raised his eyebrows at him, “Dr. Jackson said he knew you, quote, _wouldn’t leave it alone_ , end-quote.  He considered that coming through the Stargate, you would not be able to overcome our forces.  The only other way would be by ship.”

“Okay, I get we can’t barge in and rescue his ass.  What _can_ be done, Proctor?” Jack said as he replaced the cap back on his head.

The old man looked over to Teal’c, a look of suspicion on his face and quietly said, “Please open the door.”

Teal’c bowed his head and opened the door.  Sitrik was standing right there, looking very much like a deer in the headlights.

The Proctor said, “Ah… Sitrik, I’m glad you are there.  Please run to the kitchens and tell them to bring up refreshments.  Do not forget to add the good wine.”

“Proctor, I really must protest!” he said as he pushed his way past Teal’c.  “I have been elected as Regent and it is my duty to be included in these proceedings, not fetching refreshments!  I will not stand by and let these… off-worlders manipulate you to free that… that… _skrunilec_!”  Sitrik directed a disgruntled look at the General.

Odoaker stood and leaned onto his desk.  With a very intimidating voice, he said to Sitrik, “I will _not_ have that kind of language in my chambers!  And as _newly_ elected Regent, you are still _under_ my leadership.  Also, that post was just made and we have yet to decide _what_ your duties will be.”

The tension was as thick as custard.  Jack stood up and asked, “What’s a _skrewlose_?”

“ _Skrunilec_ is a derogatory word used for those that support _anti-separation laws_.  I do not approve its use.”

Sitrik’s lip curled into a sneer, “It best describes that _filth_ you sent to represent your planet.  _It_ may call _itself_ a man, but _it_ is as unclean as any female,” he spat on the floor near O’Neill’s boots.

Jack looked at the spit by his boot, then at Teal’c, who raised an eyebrow, then at Cam, who’s eyes were wide.  Returning his focus back to the pasty man, O’Neill smiled and said, “Do you want to know what Daniel is?

“Daniel is a dreamer.  He is an idealist who has a love of humanity and life in general.  He’s an eternal optimist.  The kind of guy who is always looking for the best in people.  He may walk a fine line between obsession and diligence, and he can be a royal pain in my ass—but there is no one, _NO ONE_ that is a finer or more compassionate man.”[1]

The General then stepped into Sitrik’s personal space.  Glaring down on the man he said, “And if I ever hear you call him an ‘it’ again, you will be breathing, eating and shitting through a tube.  Understand?”

What little color the Regent had drained away.  He looked over to the Proctor and seeing no help coming from that quarter, he shrank away from O’Neill and scurried out of the room, mumbling about getting their refreshments.

Teal’c stepped into the hallway and watched the man disappear around the corner.  As Cam started laughing, he went to the door and closed it, leaving the Jaffa to stand guard outside.

Jack turned back to the old man and smiled.  “Okay, Odoaker, what do we have to do to get Daniel?”

Proctor Odoaker could not hide the grin on his wrinkled face.  As he resumed his seat, he said, “There is a demonstration scheduled to happen in two days time.  It will be a massive street protest.  What Daniel did, sparked a fire of action.  Those against the laws of separation are going to march here, on the capital.  The council will have no other recourse than to call _all_ the soldiers here to protect them.  During that time, you will be able to cross the bridge to _The Island_.”

“Can’t we just beam in?  And what good will that do if Daniel can’t leave without dying?”  Jack asked.

“The shield that covers _The Island_ is from the old Goa’uld regime and, as far as we can tell, impenetrable by any other means than our codes.  All of our vehicles have them.  Also, Dr. Jackson had an idea about the chip, General.  He told me you have a weapon that will send an electrical charge to incapacitate someone.  I think he called it a—”

“A zat gun,” Mitchell and O’Neill said together.

“If we zat him, I bet the chip will burn out before it has time to send the kill command,” Cam said.

“Yes, I believe it will,” said the Proctor.

“But what if it doesn’t?  You don’t know for sure, right?” O’Neill countered.

“No, I do not know for sure, but the person that invented this device is on _The Island_ with Daniel.  He said even if it does not completely shut it down, the mechanism will not work correctly, and he is almost positive that the kill command will _not fire_.

“But… it can reset itself so you will have to move quickly.  There is a red light, just under the skin on the inside of his arm, between the wrist and elbow.  If the light is steady, the chip is working correctly.  If it starts to blink, speeding up over a two-minute time, that means, it is counting down to execution.  You will have to get him away from the borderline as quick as you can.  If it is off altogether, then the chip has been rendered inert.”

“But it could reboot… If we take him out of there, it will still kill him,” Jack stated.

“Not if you cut it out when you hit him with that zat gun.  Or…”

“Or?” said O’Neill when the other man paused.

“Or you could kill him first,” Odoaker said quietly.

“Wait…what?” Mitchell nearly shouted.

“Daniel said that two shots from the zat will kill him and that will deactivate the chip completely.  He told me that you have the capabilities to resuscitate him aboard your ship.  But if the kill is from the chip, his heart will be beyond repairing.”

“That’s a lot of variables, sir,” Mitchell murmured.

“I don’t know of any other way for you to get him back, General O’Neill.”

Ripping his cap off his head again, Jack paced around the small room, “You got any better ideas, Mitchell?”

The young colonel shrugged, “Well… it’s not like he’s never died before.”

Jack held up his hand and looked shrewdly at Odoaker, “If we do get him out… what will happen to you?”

“That is the beauty of it, General.  No one will know.  Ertieg drops off the prisoners and doesn’t think twice about checking to see if they are still there.”  Odoaker smiled, “That is how _The Island_ has become a country of its own.  There are very few real prisoners there.  And because of what Daniel did, the Islanders may now be ready to come forth as a nation and declare its independence.”

“Do you really think it will be that easy?” Jack asked.

“Not easy… but achievable.”

With a resigned sigh, Jack nodded, “We’ll get the ball rolling on our end, Odoaker.  You said this street protest was to take place in two days?”

“Yes, and that will give me time to let Daniel know that his plan is in action.”

“HIS PLAN?” Jack growled, “now it’s all so clear.  Only Danny would come up with something this cockamamie.  Okay— we’ll head back to our ship.  What will you tell your council members the reason for us not leaving?”

“That you have decided to honor his sentence and wish to begin our trade talks again.”

Just then, Teal’c opened the door loudly and let Sitrik enter with refreshments.

“Ah, good.  Food.  Trade talks are always better on a full stomach,” Jack said as he perused the tray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Quote from Michael Shanks about his character, Dr. Daniel Jackson.  
> Gibson, Thomasina, Stargate SG-1, The Illustrated Companion, Seasons 1 and 2. London: Titan Books, 2001. Print.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Chapter Seventeen**

_26 May 2009 — Planet Designation: P5X-221 — 08:00 hours_

Since sending the first message to Odoaker, letting him know that his friends would be arriving by ship in the not too distant future, Daniel’s mood was dark.  His vision never changed, and he was getting frantic.  Serin endeavored to reassure the archeologist, but every dream he had was the same, Vala flying the F-302 to her doom, and he would wake up soaked in sweat.

Serin often came into his room to wake him from his nightmares and held him as he wept, his body taut with grief.  And every time she did, the next morning he avoided eye contact, embarrassed.  She only mentioned his struggle once, for which he was very grateful.

“I had nightmares after my husband died,” she said one morning after another bout of terror and tears.  “It was Bran that held me in the night.  No one should ever have to face that kind of fear alone, Daniel.”

Shortly after Odoaker’s first communication was received and answered, Nesterio and Daniel began to formulate a plan for disabling the deadly chip imbedded in his body.  The only one they thought would work was sent on to the Proctor.  The note back was short— _Message received. Will contact when the ship arrives._

The cabin that was used for communication with Ertieg was far into the woods in a small clearing.  It took Daniel an hour to walk there from the village, so he settled near the little structure, sleeping outdoors by a fire.  He also didn’t want his bad mood to wear out his welcome.  Since he wouldn’t leave his campsite until he got word his teammates had arrived, Serin, Bran, and Nesterio sometimes stayed with him at night so he would not be completely alone.  As one week turned into two, his dreams became unclear, foggy and distorted.  Visual snippets of his escape, the land bridge, and bloody combat sometimes flashed by in ever changing order.  He already knew that the bridge was both a source of imminent danger and a possible way out, yet these dreams lent no further understanding. Sleep was not his friend and fatigue began to show on his face. 

 

* * *

_31 May 2009 — Planet Designation: P5X-221 — 21:00 hours_

 

As he kept his vigil, Daniel thought about the visions.  The Imbas Forosnai didn’t seem to do what he thought it would.  Dagda said that it was Knowledge that Illuminates, so he figured he would see the future at times of great need.  But the fragmentary and disturbing nature of the dreams and the way he got sick after he had a lucid vision, made him think that it was a curse more than a gift.

Daniel sorely wished that Aisling was with him.  He wasn’t sure how, but maybe she would be able to shed some light onto this ‘so-called _gift_.’  Then it occurred to him that maybe the sickness was only because he hadn’t learned how to control the visions.  Maybe they wouldn’t be as bad if the prediction was good and not a disaster.  Dagda wasn’t very forthcoming in the explanation department.

“My brother,” a voice said to him.

Daniel jumped and reached for his non-existent sidearm.  He looked around the clearing, but no one else was there.  He began to think maybe he had imaged it.

“No, brother,” Ta’om came into the light of the fire and sat before the amazed man, “I am here.”

“H… how…”

The elven man smiled at him, “You are in the realm of dreams right now, Daniel.  I heard your questions and have come with some answers.”

Still reeling at Ta’om’s sudden appearance, Daniel had a hard time trying to get his thoughts together enough to ask anything.  Shaking his head slightly he was able to kick his brain back into gear.

“How did you know that I needed you?”

“Son, we are never very far from you.  Especially when your heart is in need,” Ta’om said with a smile and a tap on Daniel’s torque.  “What troubles you?”

Nodding his head in thoughtful contemplation, Daniel absent mindedly began to play with his silver collar.  Then his questions took form and he asked, “Why… why do I get sick when the visions come?”

“Your body is adjusting to having this gift, and it is a _gift_.  It may take a little time, but the sickness will ease.”

Jackson noticed that the fairy said _ease_ and not _stop_.  He filed that away for later and asked, “Will I see everything that is going to come?  Will the facts change if I know about them?”

Ta’om ducked his head for a moment.  When he looked up again, he had a curious expression,  “You will not see everything.  The magic is… indiscriminate.  Chaotic.  Sometimes you will see, and other times it will not reveal what may be very important.  We do not understand the magic completely.  It comes from a place that even we know not.”

“Then what good is it?” he barked and tossed a stick into the fire, sending sparks to dance in the night sky.

The elf’s thin eyebrows inched a little higher.  “Have you not already benefited from the images?  Were you not able to use the laws of this world to save your friend and your lover?”

Daniel frowned, “Well, yeah, but…”

“This is not a crystal ball, my brother.  Nor will you be able to predict an outcome of something.  It is for guidance only.  You know that nothing is set in stone when it comes to the future.  Impending events swirl and weave, come into focus and slip far away.

“You will learn to decipher the images.  Some you will disregard as merely idle fears, while others will help you to manage a situation.  When the crowd was screaming in the small room, you found it arduous to gather your thoughts.  The Imbas Forosnai helped you to focus on what you needed at that time.  Your nightmares of Vala are merely that— nightmares.”

The man was confused, “But it was a vision.  There was a lot more to it than just Vala.  And… and then I got sick.”

“It was a vision in the hut of the old man, yes.  But now, you have changed some of the events already by informing the Proctor of your pack’s intentions of rescue.  So that prediction is no longer.  You will learn to discover what is needed and what can be let go.  Dagda would not have given you this gift if he did not think you would be able to manage it.  I will tell you this, it is best for you to keep Aisling with you at _all_ times.  She will help to keep your mind clear, and the connection with Tir Na n’Óg open.

“My time has come.  I must leave you now.  Peace be with you, brother,” Ta’om said as he began to fade into the firelight.

“WHOA!  WAIT!” Daniel shouted out, “Ta’om!!”

Daniel jerked awake with the shout still on his lips.  Scrubbing a hand over his face, he looked around.  Everything was as it should be, but now he had a little more to mull over.

 _Just how much can one brain hold?_ he wondered.

* * *

 

_04-05 June 2009 — Planet Designation: P5X-221_

 

Late in the afternoon, as Daniel sat in the cold drizzle and poked at his fire, a boy came out of the hut and handed him a note.  The scrawl was hard to read—  _To Daniel of_ The Island _, from Odoaker of Ertieg.  A Tau’ri ship has entered our orbit and has requested a meet in the morning.  Will inform you when plan is confirmed.  Do not contact again._

Feeling somewhat better, and tired of being cold all day long, he went back to Serin’s hut to warm up and get some food.  That night Daniel spotted the blinking lights of what he was sure was the ship from Earth.  The following morning, he went back to his campsite.  When the others joined him that night, they sat around a roaring fire, cooking some stew and chatting amiably together.  The Tau’ri pointed out some of the stars to Bran, telling him about his time among them.  The boy was fascinated by the stories Daniel recounted and by the lights from the ship.

“So… the lights that shine above are really planets?” asked the boy.

Daniel smiled at him, “Not all of them, no.  Some are suns.  My friend Sam could tell you more about them.  She’s a scientific wiz!”

Bran looked at him in shock, “You mean that the women on your planet can go to trade school to become scientists?  Your planet must be an amazing place to live, Daniel.”

“It’s not all good, Bran.  We have problems just like here.  They just wear a different coat.  In some countries, they still don’t let women go to school either.  I’ve been to hundreds of worlds and not one of them was perfect.”

An older boy came running out of the cabin.  He handed Nesterio a scrap of parchment.

“Is that the message?”  Daniel asked, hoping it was going to be good news.

The old man read aloud:  _To Nesterio of_ The Island, _from Odoaker of Ertieg.  All is well with our guests.  The plan is in action.  The protest will commence the day after tomorrow.  Be ready._

“How do we know it’s really from him?  This could be a set-up,” Daniel worried.

Nesterio smiled at him, “The message also says— _on our way, Space Monkey_.”

Daniel laughed aloud, eyes bright, “It’s them.  They’re going with our plan.”  He was so happy, and then he noticed that Bran was starting to cry softly.

“Bran,” he pulled him close, “what’s the matter?”

The boy shivered in his arms, “You are going to leave… just like my dad did.”

Hugging the boy to him, Daniel rubbed his back. “Oh, Bran.  You knew I wanted to go home.  But things are going to change around here.  A lot!  And you get to be a part of that change.”

“Will you ever come back?”

Daniel sighed, “I don’t know.  It would be dangerous for me to show my face in Ertieg again.  They won’t know that I’m gone and if I suddenly walk through the Stargate… what do you think would happen to Proctor Odoaker?”

“They would hurt him.  Maybe put him to death for helping you to escape,” the boy sobbed.

“I tell you what,” Daniel looked at Nesterio and Serin.  “I’ll give your mama and Nesterio a special code so that when things do get better here, you can contact me through the ‘gate.  How would that be?”

Bran nodded his head into Daniel’s chest, “‘kay.  But I will still miss you, Daniel.”

“I’ll miss you too, Branimir,” he said stroking the boy’s hair.  “I’ll miss you too.”

The thought of sleeping warmly and as it was still relatively early in the evening, had Daniel suggesting they packed up the little camp and walked back to Serin’s hut.  By the time they reached her home, Bran was asleep on Daniel’s shoulders.

* * *

 

_06 June 2009 — Planet Designation: P5X-221 — 05:30 hours_

 

Since Daniel knew how sad Bran was about his leaving, the next morning he woke up the boy early.

“Hey, Branimir,” Daniel whispered, “wake up.  My best friend always said ‘Fishin’ has to start before the fish get up.”

Bran groaned and rolled over, “Fishin’?  We’re gonna go fishin’?”

“Yeah… come on sleepy head,” Daniel ruffled the boy’s hair.

A few minutes later, both boys were hiking to Bran’s favorite fishing hole.  It was a good distance from his home, but the morning was warm and Daniel loved the company.  Bran told him all about his father’s carving skills and the dreams of what he wanted to do when he grew up.  After meeting Daniel, the child decided he wanted to travel through the stars just like him.  In turn, his new friend shared stories about his time on Abydos and going through the Stargate.

They had a great time at the fishing hole and caught several large fish.  Daniel never had this kind of luck in Jack’s lake, even when _there were_ fish in it.  When it was about midday, they decided it was time for lunch and since neither had breakfast, they hurried home.

“Mama!” Bran burst in the door.  “We caught a lot of fish!  Daniel and me!”

“That’s great, honey!  Go clean them up for dinner tonight,” Serin smiled at Daniel.  “Thank you for that,” she said and kissed him on the cheek.  “He’s missed going fishing.  You’ve been a great blessing.”

Daniel blushed and ducked his head down, “Yeah, well, I’m going to miss him.  And you.  I will try to find a way to keep in contact.  I really hope that I can come back to see him again.”

Serin knew that he would try.  She only wished that she and Bran could go with him.  Then it hit her.  Neither she nor Bran had a chip.  Maybe they _could_ go with Daniel.  She had no ties to Ertieg and she really didn’t want to watch as the country began the pains of birthing a new way of life.  She studied the man for a moment.  She knew the approach to her question had to be worded very carefully so he did not think that she wanted to stay with _him_.  Serin knew how much he was in love with his girlfriend and she didn’t want to jeopardize that in any way.

Turning to him, Serin said, “Daniel, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Does your world accept refugees?”

The man looked shocked.  He certainly didn’t expect that question.  He thought for a moment and said, “Well, um… yeah, we do all the time on a temporary basis.  Why… what are you thinking?”

The woman pulled out a chair and sat beside the dining table.  She was trying to gather her thoughts, wanting to put her idea into a cohesive suggestion.

“Well, I’m not a prisoner, and now that my husband is gone I have no anchors here.  Well… I was just wondering if maybe… Bran and I could come with you— to your planet… to live,” her voice trailed off.

His eyebrows were sky high as he stared at her with his mouth hanging open.  Clearing his throat, Daniel also sat down.

“Well, um… I guess that… ah… well, I might be able to take you.  I would have to ask if it would be…” he stopped.  Daniel thought of Bran and how happy he would be.  How much the boy would gain by living on Earth.  He really didn’t think that Jack would be too upset.  Especially when he met Bran.  O’Neill was always a sucker for kids.

“Don’t you have any family that will miss you and Bran?”

Serin shook her head with a soft smile, “My mother died quite some time ago, and I have no siblings.  No one will even miss us.”

Daniel looked out the open door and watched Bran as he cleaned the fish they had caught.  He really loved the boy and wanted to stay in contact with him.  If he were on Earth, that would be a lot easier.

“It will be hard to get used to living on Earth.  It’s very different.  Much faster and many more people.  And you’d will have to stay at the SGC— that’s Stargate Command, for a little while.  Recently, they’ve eased the rules around new off-world residents.  In the past, refugees had to stay on the base for a long time.  I guess we’re getting used to the idea of being part of the whole universe and that we’re not alone.

“Our doctors will check you out.  They’ll run a few tests and have both of you speak with the mental health counselor to evaluate your adjustment to the new place.”

“It still sounds much better than here, Daniel.  Much better for Bran too,” Serin said pleadingly.

Daniel nodded his head, “Why don’t go with me to the rendezvous point tomorrow.  I’m not going to promise anything, but I’m pretty sure Jack will be sympathetic to your request.”

Serin flashed him a smile that lit the room.

* * *

 

_06 June 2009 — Planet Designation: P5X-221 — 23:40 hours_

 

The evening before the protest the city was quiet as a grave.  Sitrik scampered through the shadows as he made his way to the _Barracks of Officers_.  He just knew something was going to happen on _The Island_.  The Proctor was in too good of a mood and that set-off alarm bells for him.  The off-worlders were planning something and he was going to make sure it didn’t happen.

Entering the building, the Regent went directly to the Master of the Guard.  Rapping his knuckles on the door and opening it, he was almost jubilant.

“Good evening, Timbac,” Sitrik said, “I have a mission for you that is of the utmost importance.  Tomorrow there will be a protest by the _skrunilecs_.  I know this to be a distraction.  I feel that actually what is going to happen is a bid to free the off-worlder by _its_ comrades.”

Timbac leaned forward and said, “What will you have me do, Regent?”

“Station one of your soldiers on _The Island_ dressed as a prisoner to man the lookout post they have there.  Also, I want you to put a squadron of your best, hidden amongst the trees and under the bridge.  Before the off-worlders get the chance to rescue that _skrunilec_ , I plan to kill _it_!”

“You will be going to _The Island_ , Regent?” the man asked with complete surprise on his thick face.  “You have never been to _The Island_ … have you?”

“That’s not the point!  I will not let the Proctor get away with whatever he is scheming.  This will be his undoing!  And then, _I_ will become Proctor and quash the _skrunilec’s_ movement once and for all.”

The look of utter joy was rather off-putting to Timbac.  He didn’t like the idea of anti-separation any better than the next real man; but, this… this was extreme.

“Wouldn’t it be better if one of my men killed the _skrunilec_?  That way your hands won’t be dirty,” Timbac said.

“No!” Sitrik almost screamed.  “I will be the one killing _it_.  I want to see the life ebb away from _its_ eyes.  I want _it_ to know that I was the one that exterminated _it_ like the vermin _it_ is.  Your men are only there to protect me from the others.  I don’t care about them.  Kill them if you want too.”

“Should I post more men at the guard hut too?”

“No, in fact, I want you to empty the building.  This way, the off-worlders will think that their plan is working,” the Regent leaned back triumphantly.  “And no one else is to know about this.  Understand?  This will be _my_ greatest achievement and I don’t want others to think they can take the credit for destroying this unholy movement!”

“Yes, sir,” the officer said and saluted.

* * *

 

_07 June 2009 — USS Eos BC-304 — 09:30 hours_

 

The two days that Vala was forced to wait for the rescue to commence seemed longer than the six months Daniel had spent with the Tuatha.  She couldn’t sleep at all.  She knew he was only on the planet below, but the distance could have been thousands of light years.  Sam tried to keep her busy, but there really wasn’t much for the former space pirate to do aboard an idle ship locked in orbit.  Vala wasn’t that interested in the techie stuff Sam was doing and she really didn’t want to be involved in the mission planning since she could not go with them.  She took to shadowing Jack around until he got sick of it and told her to back off.

“Vala,” he said that first night, “if you don’t stop following me around, I’m gonna tell Daniel that you and I are having an affair.  A hot, steamy, sexy, no-holds-barred _affair!_ ”

She glared at him but knew it was an empty threat.  Still, she kept to her quarters after that.  When the time came for the team to head out, Vala decided to listen in on the mission briefing.

“Gentlemen,” O’Neill barked as he entered the room, “our only objective is to extract Daniel Jackson, alive and in one piece.”

“Yet again,” one man mumbled.

“You got something to say, Barns?” the General stared angrily at the soldier.

“No, sir,” he snapped.

“Glad to hear it, Marine.  Now, here’s how things are gonna go down.  _The Eos_ will deposit us near the guardhouse.  There’s a possibility that said guardhouse will be empty, but we’re not gonna assume so.  We’ll enter and neutralize anyone still in there.  And I said _neutralize_ … not kill.

“When that’s done, Team One will take one of their trucks over to _The Island_.  If everything goes the way it’s supposed to, Daniel will be waiting near where the bridge ends.  While we’re doing that, Team Two will cover our ass, just in case.  Once we have Jackson, we’ll be coming back across and _The Eos_ will beam us back, easy-peasy.

“Team One will be myself, Mitchell, Teal’c, Andrews, Kors, and Hamlin.  Team Two will be all of you jarheads.  Any questions?”

Barns raised his hand, “Sir, what happens if someone comes while Team One is on _The Island_?”

“Good question.  The Proctor is pretty sure that most guards will be too busy keeping the peace during the protest.  But if hostiles do show up, you neutralize them.  Try not to get into a firefight.  We don’t want to alert anyone else that we’re there.  This whole thing is laid out not only to get Jackson back, but also to protect the Proctor.  We don’t want anyone knowing that Daniel is gone until the Proctor is ready to make that information public.  This is as much a relations mission as it is a rescue operation.  We’re using the chaos that will be going on already as cover.

“In the off chance that things start to goon up, _The Eos_ will beam Team Two back onboard A-sap.  Once Team One gets clear of the dome, we’ll get beamed up also.  Oo-rah?”

“OO-RAH!!” the men answered back.

“Okay then gentlemen, stay frosty and fangs out.”

The men stood, saluted.  As they were gathering their equipment Vala slid up next to Mitchell.

“Please… try not to kill him,” she told Cam quietly, “I’d really like to have him walking and talking when you come back.”

“That _is_ the plan, Vala,” he said.  “I promise we’ll do our best not to have to zat him too many times.”

She reached up and gave him a kiss on his cheek.  As the troops readied, Sam came into the weapons room, “Good luck, Cam.  Bring him home.”

“We will,” Mitchell replied.  Then he pulled Sam off to the side, “You need to keep an eye on Vala, Sam.  Daniel’s got this crazy notion that she’s going to try and fly a 302 down there to get him.  If she does, she’ll be killed.”

Carter nodded, “I’ll keep her busy.”

With a warm smile, Mitchell turned to go.

* * *

 

_07 June 2009 — Planet Designation: P5X-221 — 07:30 hours_

 

The morning of his extraction, Daniel got his meager belongings together and headed to the kitchen of the small dwelling.  Serin was already awake and preparing some food for them.  She turned with a smile and handed him a biscuit.

“Should I pack some things for Bran and myself?” she asked hopefully, fearing that he might have changed his mind during the night.

Daniel nodded as he ate.  “Yeah, it would be good to be prepared to go right away.  You haven’t told Bran yet, have you?”

“No,” she answered, “I thought it best not to get his hopes up.”

“Good thinking.”

Once she packed, Serin went to wake her son.  He stumbled out sleepily.  His eyes were already watering, knowing that Daniel was leaving today.

“Bran, you and I are going to go with Daniel, to see him off… okay?” she told the sad boy.

He shrugged his shoulders but wouldn’t look at either adult.  It wasn’t long before they were ready to go.  Bran walked with his hand in Daniel’s but kept his head down, sniffling from time to time. The man felt sorry that he couldn’t tell the boy that he may be coming also, but Serin was right… it was better not to get his hopes up.

When they passed Nesterio’s hut, Serin ducked inside to let him know that she and Bran might be leaving with Daniel.  The old man was sad that they would be gone but very pleased for them to have an opportunity for a new life.

When they reached the place where the lookout post was, Serin seemed concerned.

“I don’t know this man,” she told Daniel in a quiet voice as she waved to the sentry.

“Is that a problem?”

“No,” she replied haltingly, “maybe he’s from the Northfield Camp.  It’s just that at this time of day, it’s normally our rotation at the post.”

Daniel’s gut was telling him something was not right.  He scanned the area with the trained eye of a soldier.  Nothing seemed to be out of place.  The noises were consistent with the forest… it didn’t look as if anyone had a truck through there recently.  He noticed more boot prints in the mud than he thought would be there.  Still, it was quiet and the forest line would be the only place someone could hide, and that was a good distance from them.  If someone broke cover, Daniel would see them in plenty of time to get Serin and Bran to safety.

He shrugged the uneasy feeling off and went to sit on a large boulder.  Serin sat next to him and Bran, on his other side, snuggled close as if he could keep Daniel from leaving.  They didn’t have to wait very long when Jackson saw the truck speeding over the bridge.

They grabbed their stuff, headed to meet them.  As the truck got closer, Daniel smiled and closed his eyes for a moment— he was going home, back to the arms of his love.  But then a vision blasted through his brain.

The pain was intense.  In fact, that pressure was so severe he thought he was going to pass out.  His eyes burned and through a blood-red haze, his vision solidified— _the truck was almost to them when men with guns came up from below the bridge and surrounded Daniel, Serin and Bran.  Pain… Screams… Serin and Bran ripped away from him brutally…_

Opening his eyes, he collapsed to his knees and puked.  Serin knelt by his side, holding his shoulders while the man wretched.  Bran stared at him fearfully, a small hand on Daniel’s shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” she whispered loudly, focused entirely on him.

“This is wrong… they know…” he wiped his hand across his mouth.  “There are soldiers here… now.  They’re waiting for the truck to get here.  I’ve got to get you to safety!”

So focused on getting his getting his head clear, he never noticed the camouflaged soldier that came up behind the trio until…

“MAMA!!” Bran screamed as he was tossed aside.  Serin turned with a scream and was backhanded to the ground.

As Daniel looked up, he was hit on the side of his head with a gun butt.  Falling into the mud, face first, he could hear more people rushing around and then Serin screamed.  Pushing himself up, someone grabbed his shirt collar spinning him around and putting him in a headlock, nearly choking him unconscious.  Struggling to breathe and blinking the mud from his eyes, Daniel groaned when his vision cleared.

The rat himself, Sitrik.  The gun in his hands seemed too big for him to hold.

“You lose, _skrunilec_!  Your deviance will never taint our society.  I’m going to make sure of that.  Then I will take Odoaker down and burn this island and all that live here.”

Struggling against his captor, Daniel could see that Serin was on her stomach, her hands pinned behind her back and Branimir valiantly hitting the man that held her.  The soldier turned to Bran laughing, then clobbered the boy, sending him flying.

Daniel roared and elbowed the guard holding him in the gut, only to receive a powerful punch in his already sore ribs.  He was sure he had felt them crack under the blow.  The guard shoved Daniel forward with a hit to his kidneys.  Winded for a moment, Jackson leaned down, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.  The gun shots that ripped the air didn’t really register with him because out of the corner of his eye, he saw the butt of a rifle rushing towards his head again.  He managed to block the blow with his arm, fracturing a bone in the process.

Fighting through the pain, Daniel kicked backward and knocked Sitrik off his feet.  He jumped upon the Regent and began to bash the man’s face with a berserker’s rage.  Gentle intellectual his ass!  Enough was enough.

_Why?  Why am I always in these fucked up situations?_

Daniel hit and hit—the knuckles of his hands cracking with every blow—  The pain only a distant awareness.  He hit and hit…  This sorry excuse for a human and his agenda was just as bad as any Goa’uld or Ori.  Daniel continued his assault until the fractured bone in his arm finally gave way and sliced open his skin.

“Daniel!!  Danny—” he heard a familiar voice and felt himself being pulled away from his victim.  “I don’t think that weasel is going to mess with you anymore!”

Jack was holding on to him with a smirk on his face.  Daniel looked down at the bloody mess that had once been Sitrik’s face.  Blank eyes staring into the sky, no longer able to see.

“Oh, god… oh, god… I, I…” Jackson stammered seeing what he had done.  “I didn’t mean too— Jack?  I killed him?”

“Ah, he got what he deserved.  Come on, Teal’c, grab the woman… I have the boy.  We have to fly. they obviously know what we’re up to,” O’Neill said.

“O’Neill!” Teal’c pointed towards the trees, where around fifty men were running towards them… fast.

“Yeah!” Jack said, “I see’em… let’s go before they get in range.”

Teal’c took Serin’s arm, started towards the truck, trying to avoid tripping over the bodies of two fallen soldiers.

“I hit one of them in the throat… hard.  He was hurting Bran,” Serin said in a panicked voice.

“You are a woman of courage,” said Teal’c with a nod of his head.  “But we mustn’t delay.”

While Mitchell helped Daniel to the truck, O’Neill reached for his radio, “This is Sierra Golf One Niner, _Eos_ , do you copy?”

“This is _Eos_ , go ahead”

“Milkrun is over, beam us up as soon as we clear the dome.  We’re coming in hot!”

“Copy that!”

O’Neill’s radio crackled again, “Team One, you’re gonna have company soon!” one of the marines by the guard’s shack warned.

Looking across the bridge, the General saw three trucks moving towards them.

“We got more bandits on the way!” he yelled to the rest of Team One guarding their vehicle.  Then into his radio he said, “Mission status: **Alpha Foxtrot Uniform** …Team Two— punch out!!”

“HUA!”

Andrews, Kors, and Hamlin laid down cover fire as O’Neill, Teal’c, and Mitchell got Daniel’s friends into the back of the truck.

“Why do all our plans always turn into such clusterfucks?!” Jack yelled to Mitchell.

“Does seem to always be a football bat… especially when it has to do with Jackson!”

Teal’c was busy pouring something that smelled foul all over the road in front of the truck.

“It would be wise to shield your eyes!” bellowed the Jaffa as he ignited the road.  Flames shot high into the air, shielding the team from the oncoming hoard.  Leaving Mitchell and Teal’c to keep the pressure on, O’Neill went to the back of the truck where his friend was trying to catch his breath.

“It’s good to see to see you, Danny Boy,” Jack smiled as pulled out his zat and pointed it at him.

Bran’s eyes grew wide with fear.  He jumped out of the truck and tried to shove O’Neill’s hand away, hitting the man as hard as he could.

Daniel grabbed the boy, “It will be okay, Branimir.  This won’t kill me.  Only make me sleep.”

The boy was crying in earnest, looking very scared.  Jack lifted the zat gun and aimed as Daniel squeezed his eyes closed, waiting for more pain.  He was so tired of the pain.  All he ever wanted was his damn books… peace and quiet… a cozy fire, with a glass of wine and Vala sitting in his lap.

Instead… one shot, and the archeologist jerked for a moment and then slumped to the ground, unconscious.  The General lifted Jackson’s injured arm to see if the red light was shining under his skin, but the blood sipping from the open wound obstructed his view.  He quickly grabbed a bandana from his pocket and cleaned the area.  Not seeing the glow, he pulled out his combat knife and carefully opening the wound, he felt around and found where the chip was embedded.  It was on the side of the fractured bone and attached to an artery.

The Proctor had been wrong about the location the chip.  O’Neill worried that the artery would to take the activated chip directly into his heart, but he had to get it out without causing further harm.  He took the bandana and wrapped as a tourniquet around the arm.

“What are you doing!” screamed Bran as he tried to hit Jack again.

“Bran!  It’s going to be alright!” Serin told the boy pulling him away from Daniel.  “He has to take the chip out so that we can go across the bridge.  If he doesn’t— Daniel will die.”

Praying to whomever gods may be in a good mood, Jack put the knife inside the wound and wedging it between the device and the artery.  Slowly and carefully he pried the chip out.  The light immediately turned back on and started to flash.  Suddenly, the device grew tiny filaments and blinked faster as it counted down to its lethal purpose.  O’Neill tossed the thing toward the wall of fire just as a soldier burst through.  A double tapped to the chest, without even looking, he returned his attention back to his friend.

“Grenade!” Mitchell yelled as a softball size yellow object landed near the truck.

Jack covered Daniel’s body with his as the explosion threw up mud and flame.

“Let’s pack it up, people!” the General hollered at the rest his squad.

Teal’c carefully moved Daniel into the truck and laid him on the bench, next to Serin and Bran.  The rest of Team One jumped in behind them to cover their retreat.  Mitchell got the vehicle turned around and headed back across the bridge.

Jack pulled out a med kit and gently wrapped Daniel’s broken arm.  When he was finished, he motioned Serin over to hold Daniel’s head in her lap.  He then sat up and toggled his radio mic to talk with the men in the cab.

“Mitchell, drive faster!  Teal’c, call _The Eos_ , tell them we have two extras with us and to have the med team waiting!”

They were half way across when Cam pointed out the front window, “Those trucks are getting close!  We ain’t gonna make it!”

“A little more confidence, Colonel!  We’re the _white-hats_ , remember?  This is what we were born to do!” Jack said into the radio.

“Born to pull Jackson out of shitty situations?!  Pretty sure my destiny has a little broader scope, sir!” laughed Mitchell.

There was only about a hundred meters between the rescue truck and the Ertieg ones.  A spectacular collision seemed inevitable to Cam.

“ **WE AIN’T GONNA MAKE IT!!** ”

Then the unmistakable feeling of being dematerialized overtook them all.  In the next moment, they were all safely aboard ship.

Mitchell looked around for a second, then threw his hands up and yelled, “WOO!  NOW **THAT** IS WHAT I WAS BORN TO DO!!”

* * *

 

_07 June 2009 — USS Eos BC-304 — 13:10 hours_

 

Bran was clinging to his mother, scared out of his mind, but she wasn’t much better.  Sliding towards the bulkhead, she held her son close and watched as others ran into the room.  She was worried that Daniel was hurt more than what he said he would be but she saw him come around at last.  As he began to stir, a woman with a long, dark ponytail rushed in and knelt at his side.

“Daniel?” Vala said as she caressed his face, “Daniel… Daniel, darling?  Oh, please wake up, Moswen!”

The two refugees watched as their new friend opened his eyes.  Vala leaned down and kissed him gently.

Jack shook his head at the two of them, then stooped down in front of Serin and Bran,

“Welcome to _The Eos_ , I’m Jack O’Neill.”

“Ssss… Serin,” she said in a bewildered tone, “and… this is my son, Branimir.”  Bran hid behind his mother not wanting to be seen.  “Thank you for letting us come with you.”

“Well, I sure as hell wasn’t going to leave you there!  Those idiots would have probably killed you for helping Daniel escape,”  Jack said as he helped them up.  “I have to take you to the infirmary.  Get you checked out.”

She looked at him confused.

“It’s a sort of hospital.”  O’Neill then grinned at the boy, “Hey, Branimir, it’s gonna be okay.  You will be safe with us.  I promise.”

The man held out his hand just as Daniel had done the first time Bran meet him.  Stepping out from behind his mother, the boy took Jack’s hand in his and shook it.

“You can call me Bran,” he said.  “Are you Daniel’s best friend?”

“I’m his _bestest_ friend,” Jack told him matter-of-factly.

Bran gave him a smile then, “You must be the one that taught him how to fish!  Daniel took me fishing yesterday!”

Jack was surprised at this.  “He did?  Daniel never wants to go fishing with _me_.  We’re going to have to do something about that, huh, Bran.”

They followed the med team as Daniel was wheeled to the infirmary with Vala holding his unbroken hand.  She wasn’t going to let him get out of her reach.

“I’m sorry, Mr. O’Neill, but, are we on the spaceship?” Serin’s voice shook a little when she asked.

O’Neill slapped his head, “ _I’m_ sorry, Serin, I forgot you’ve never been on a ship like this before. This is the _USS Eos_ battlecruiser, and it’s going to take us back to our planet.  It will be a couple of weeks before we reach it, however.”

She smiled warmly up at him feeling slightly easier.  “Daniel only explained a little about the ship.  He didn’t say how immense it was,” she said as they walked the gleaming hallways.  “How many people live here?”

Jack grinned at her, “Well… we don’t actually live on the ship, at least not like it were our home or anything.  The crew rotates on and off all the time.”

Serin was bursting with questions but didn’t want to burden him.

“Mr. O’Neill, sir—”

“It’s _General_ O’Neill, Bran,” he said with a smile and a wink.  “But Jack will be fine.”

The boy answered with his own grin and asked, “What’s Earth like?”

“Well, it’s much different than your planet.  Bigger and a lot more people.  You will have a whole heap of stuff to learn and see.  I can help you a bit with some of that as we make our way there,” he gave the boy’s mother his most winning smile.

“Will we be able to see Daniel on our way?” Bran asked.

“Sure, kid-o.  No problem,” Jack said, then added, “that’s if Vala will let anyone get near him.”

When they entered the infirmary, the General rolled his eyes and let out an irritated huff.  Vala was practically on top of Daniel in a lip lock that was sure to cause permanent damage.  The nurses were trying to get an I.V. in his good arm, but between Vala and Aisling they really couldn’t get near him.

“Jesus, Daniel!  Come up for air, for cryin’ out loud!”  Jack said with a smirk.  Serin and Bran giggled beside him.

The wounded man almost flipped Jack off until he heard Bran laughing.  He was sure the boy wouldn’t know what it meant, but he didn’t think it would be appropriate.  Gently pushing Vala off him, he scowled at Jack.  The nurse looked over her shoulder and thanked the General, then went about her work of examining Daniel.

Vala went to Jack and smiled, “Thank you for bringing him back to me.”  She reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Ah, well… you know… if Daniel isn’t around I don’t have anyone to pick on,” he told her, “right, Space Monkey?”

This time Daniel _did_ flip him off.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Chapter Eighteen**

_07 June 2009 — USS Eos BC-304 — 14:40 hours_

As the ship started home, Vala would not let Daniel out of the doghouse.  Even Aisling wasn’t going to let him get by without a severe _talking_ too.  Which she did while sitting on his chest in the infirmary.  He tried to look admonished, but it was just too damn funny to hear her meowing at him.

When she was finished, it was Vala’s turn.  And it wasn’t nearly as funny.

“I don’t care why you did it!!  You promised you wouldn’t leave me!”  Vala yelled slamming a bedpan down on a table.  The initial happiness that he was back with her had apparently faded some.  “And now you go and play the hero again… getting yourself thrown into prison!”

“Vala if I hadn’t done what I did, you wouldn’t be standing here yelling at me now!  We both know what kind of shit could happen when we walk through the ‘gate!  Please…”

The angry woman grabbed a clipboard and smashed it on the bed frame causing him to jump.  He hadn’t seen her this mad for quite some time.

“This would’ve never happened if you had only stood up to their stupid customs and made them let Sam and me have our weapons!  I’m starting to think that you have this absurd death wish, Daniel!  That you don’t really care about anything other than your image as the ‘Universal Nice Guy’ who has to save everyone… whether they want it or not!”

By now the nurses were concerned enough to call General O’Neill to come down and stop this escalating fight.  As he entered the room, he had barely a second’s notice to dodge as a bedpan came flying past him.

Daniel pushed himself up on the bed and glared at Vala.  Throwing his humanity back at him as if it were a crime was a low blow.  He growled, “I didn’t start this, Vala!  It was you and Sam that wouldn’t adhere to their laws and _got caught_!  What did you think was going to happen, huh?

“And talk about _‘death wish.’_  That’s really rich coming from the person that flew a Tel’tak into the Supergate as it was opening!  But, fine… if you think I go looking for the shit I end up in, then you can just leave and never have another moment’s thought about me again.  I’m not going to keep you here!

“One thing I want to remind you… if wasn’t for me and my _‘Universal Nice Guy’_ thing, you’d still be scraping out a miserable life for yourself.  Stealing and fighting and fucking your way across the galaxy with nowhere to call home and no one to love you!”  He paused, trying to control his voice so that it wouldn’t crack with emotion.  “But then you actually seem better suited for that life, _baby_. Acting with no concern for the consequences of your actions.”

Vala looked stunned for a moment.  It wasn’t like this was their first fight, but it was their first real fight since being an actual couple.  And she wasn’t sure how to truly handle it.  She grabbed a water bottle, intending to throw it at him when Jack captured her wrist and pulled the would be projectile out of her hand.

“NO, no, no!” he said.  “There are rules about throwing water bottles at the injured.”

She look daggers at him for a moment, then wrenched her hand from his grip and stormed out of the room.  Jack watched her go, then wondered over to sit next to Daniel.  His friend laid quietly, eyes downcast, petting Aisling.

Jack thought it would be best to try and lighten the mood a little, “I was just wondering how the hell you two ended up falling for each other.  I would’ve bet money that it would be much more likely you’d fall for me before a spitfire vixen like Vala.”

He glanced over and saw Daniel staring at him, a look of incredulity on his face.

“Then again, you are a very complex person.”

That earned Jack an eye roll and a huff of irritated breath.  Then a sadness overtook Daniel.  Scratching his companion under her chin, he said, “I’m sorry you had to see that, Jack.”

“Ah, everyone fights, Daniel.  Even couples that have been together for years.  It’d be a powder keg if it never happened,” Jack said as he shrugged.

“I just couldn’t let them die,” his eyes were bright with unshed tears.  “I had no way of contacting anyone for help.  I think I’ve blown it with her now.  She’s really pissed.”

“Oh, Daniel… you haven’t blown anything.  You know how passionate she is.  Kinda reminds me of you.  Give her some time and she’ll simmer down.”

As the General began to play with his friend’s I.V. bag, he added, “She was a real mess, Danny.  Took to following me around the ship most of the trip here.  Vala really, really loves you, ya know.”

Daniel shrugged his shoulders, still not meeting his friend’s eyes.

“Changing the subject, I do have a question for you.  How did you actually know that we were coming on a ship?”

Daniel looked up startled.  “You always come to get me, Jack.  It was just a guess,” he backpedaled unconvincingly.

“You and I both know that’s bullshit, Danny.  Carter, Teal’c _and_ Vala all told me how sick you got on the planet.  And Serin mentioned you getting sick when you were with her too.  Does it have something to do with the stuff you got from the _tooth_ guys?”

Daniel looked at him sheepishly, “I can’t say anything, Jack.  The Tuatha were very adamant about following the rules.  If I break them… well— let’s just say you’d be visiting me in a nice, white, and padded room.”

Jack winced at the mention of a white room.  “Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.”  Shaking his head, he slapped Daniel on the shoulder.  “All right.  I won’t bug you anymore about it.  Would you like me to talk to Vala?”

Daniel’s eyebrows almost made it to his hairline with shock.

“I am the foremost authority on Dr. Daniel Jackson don’tcha know,” the older man smiled.

“Maybe… but on expressing feelings?  I don’t think so,” he said with a laugh.  “Hey, Jack?  Think maybe you could spring me from here?  Let me move into some quarters of my own?”

“Sure, Danny.  I’ll see what I can do.”

* * *

 

_07 June 2009 — USS Eos BC-304 — 16:30 hours_

 

Vala came back to the infirmary a little while later.  Still miffed, she started in again.  Albeit, much more quietly.  Her explanation for why she was so upset boiled down to that he hadn’t kept his promise.  Even though it was to save her and Sam’s lives.  Daniel reminded her that he had said he’d never leave her _‘by choice,’_ but she wasn’t buying it.  So it continued… on… and on.  He finally had enough and pulled her into a deep kiss.  Parting, her eyes were wet with emotion, but she no longer looked as if she would kill him.

Jack kept his word and Daniel was allowed to stay in the quarters that Vala had, instead of the infirmary, which made him happy.  He wished that his ribs weren’t cracked and his arm broken; he wanted so much to make love to his girl and reaffirm his commitment to her.  Besides, he had always heard that make-up sex was the best.

The night after their first _‘couples-fight,’_ they laid wrapped as tightly as he could bear, and talked about this and that, contented to be with each other.

“Moswen,” Vala murmured, “do you ever think of quitting SG-1?  Not your work, just the team.”

Daniel considered the question for a long time.  He _loved_ going through the ‘gate, that much was made abundantly clear when he thought he never would again.  And there were plenty of people on SG teams that had significant others who would be distraught if something happened to them.  But his was the flagship team… first contact and, therefore, very dangerous.  The trip to Ertieg proved that rather painfully.

He would contemplate moving to an archeology team.  They didn’t get shot at, kidnapped, or otherwise put in danger— well… not that often at least.  And if truth be told, he really did miss the purity of the science.  Working without a sidearm.  Hell, it’d be nice not to have to always be on guard.

But what would Vala do?  Would she leave SG-1 too?  He didn’t think he would be able to handle it if something happened to her and he wasn’t there to save her.  And if she did quit, what would she do… other then annoy him while he worked.  Daniel loved her with every ounce of his being, but she could still exasperate the hell out of him when she was bored.

Aisling stood from her perch atop of his stomach and stared at him.  It was as if the cat knew the answer, but wasn’t going to tell him.  She jumped down and sauntered away with a swish of her tail.  These women were going to be the death of him!

Vala began to think he would never answer the question.  She leaned up on an elbow to look into his eyes.  He smiled and brushed her hair away from her face.

“If that’s what you want me to do, I can talk to General Landry about moving to an archeology team.  But— you have to leave SG-1 too.  I couldn’t live with it if something happened to you,” he said quietly.  “What would you do, though?”

She gave him a winning smile and said, “I’ve already thought about it.  I want to go to one of your universities to study.”

Daniel’s eyes grew wide with shock.  Never in a _million_ years would he have imagined Vala Mal Doran wanting a formal education.  With his brow crinkled in bewilderment, he asked— a little sarcastically, “and study _what_ exactly?”

With a gleam in her eye and a grin on her lips, she answered, “I want to study Ancient History and art.  Particularly the art of the Indigenous Native American peoples.”

He laughed out loud until the pain in his side overwhelmed him, then he saw the hurt in her eyes.  He smiled lovingly at her, “I think you would be excellent in that field.”  He traced the line of her jaw with his finger and continued softly,  “but, wouldn’t you get bored?  It’s not as active as you’re use too.”

“I won’t get bored.  And I could be a help to you, instead of annoying all the time.”

“Well that would be something different,” he chuckled.

Vala gently hit him on the head with a mock pout.  She turned into his caress and kissed his hand, then leaned down to consume his lips.  Vala was so happy that he didn’t think she was crazy for even coming up with the idea.  Her tongue demanded entrance into his mouth and he was more than eager to oblige.  Their blood began to race.

Cracked ribs and a broken arm or not, Daniel needed to be inside her, loving her, making sure she was really there and this wasn’t a dream.  He let his hand roam down her ribs then up inside her teddy.  Taking hold of one voluptuous breast, he kneaded it gently, waking the soft nipple with his fingertips.

Vala moaned into his mouth.  She broke the kiss and began to descend down his neck, sucking and nibbling.  As she reached his bruised and battered chest, she paused… not wanting to hurt him.  With feather soft kisses, she gently moved down his torso on her way to the erection tenting his boxers.  Hooking her long fingers under the elastic waistband, she pulled them up and over, to expose the straining member.

In a flash, his dick disappeared into her mouth, and Daniel grabbed the nearest pillow, yelping loudly into it.  Thrusting up, he let her know he was good and to keep going.  She worked him lovingly for a few minutes but Vala wanted more.  She sat up, removed the pillow from his face and kissed him tenderly.

“I’m going to sit on you, darling.  If it hurts, tell me to stop.”

Daniel nodded, not thinking he could speak.  Vala pulled his boxers the rest of the way off, wincing slightly at all the bruises and cuts that covered his body.  Her heart ached at seeing him so beat up… _yet again_.  He whimpered a little, trying to get her to move things along.  When she looked up into his eyes, she saw no pain, only desire.  The dark haired woman removed her thong and straddled the man.  Using his unbroken hand, Daniel lined himself up and she slid slowly down onto his shaft.  If there was pain, he never felt it as she started to glide— up, down, up, down…

Vala wanted to bend over and kiss him but thought the pressure would be too much on his ribs.  Instead, she concentrated on bringing him to the height of ecstasy with only her movements.  Shifting her hips a little, she was able to take him even deeper.

Up, down, up, down…

Daniel put his hand on her hip and began to thrust into her with more speed.  He needed more and she felt _so_ good… so tight and warm.  With a mind-numbing velocity, Vala was nearing the crest of the orgasmic wave.  Just the feeling of his body dancing within hers was so perfect— yet surreal.  With a shriek, she embraced the rapture of fulfillment.  Vala arched her back as she felt her very core explode.  The wonderment of their love boiling down to the culmination of their bodies was overwhelming.  A moment later, Daniel also peaked— pleasure beyond explanation coursing through his battered body and hungry spirit as he filled her with his seed.  His body trembled with the force of their climax.  For what seemed like an eternity, they basked in the joy that filled them. When their breath began to slow, blue eyes met gray ones and the sincerity of their love could never be put into mere words.

After Vala had dismounted, she walked over to wet a cloth.  Daniel never took his eyes from her.  She was so beautiful.  A porcelain doll, pale and perfect.  Her body moved with the grace of angels, he thought.  As she returned to their bed, his lover gently cleaned him, careful of his wounds.  All the while he stared, knowing his heart was hers and he would never take it back.

When she was finished, Vala pulled the blankets up and snuggled in beside him.  Kissing the top of her head, he whispered, “I love you, Vala Mal Doran.  I love you with every fiber of my soul.”

“I love you too, my Daniel.”

When she said _my Daniel_ , a vision of Sha’re pierced into his mind.

_His deceased wife turned and smiled.  “Love again, my husband.  You are ready to let me rest,” she said to him, “I will always be a part of you, but now… you must give yourself to the one you love.  Be happy… Dan’yel.”_

He gasped, the unsettling sickness only slight this time, but it still made his stomach lurch.  Then Aisling jumped back onto the bed and laid down on his abdomen.  Her blue eyes looked deep into his and he knew that Sha’re was right.  It was time.  He would do what he never thought he would again.  With Vala nestled by his side and Aisling purring atop him, Daniel Jackson fell into a peaceful, deep sleep.

* * *

 

_08 June 2009-28 June 2009 — USS Eos BC-304_

 

In the days that followed, Mitchell wondered why they didn’t just ‘gate home, but O’Neill said it would be better to give their teammate the undisturbed rest.  Vala was perfectly happy with that plan, even if Cam was not.  Besides, Sam was really needed to help the crew of _The Eos_ work out their new engine design.

The team, General O’Neill, Sarin, and Bran spent evening meals together.  Their time was trouble-free and full of laughter.  Sarin was learning all about Minnesota and hockey from Jack and Daniel was teaching Bran to read English.  The boy loved to play with Aisling too, but Jack told him when they got home, he was going to buy a dog for Bran.

Three weeks later _The Eos_ was on approach to Earth.  It turned out that this little vacation was a godsend.  All of their spirits were restored and bodies healed— ready for the challenges to come.  It also was the time that Daniel needed to get his plans together.  He wanted to make sure that he got everything right for Vala.  He even practiced in front of Aisling.

The last night aboard the ship, as he endeavored to write out the proposal with his left hand, his furry companion jumped into his lap.  She put her paws on his chest and brought her nose to his.  As they touched, Daniel saw the Stargate… then a daisy chain wreath, rings of a felled tree, a drop of water hitting a smooth pond.  There was an image of what looked like a crop circle, the design nothing but circles.  Aisling pulled away and meowed at him.

Looking at the cat utterly confused, it then dawned on him.  Slapping his head, with his cast by accident, Daniel realized that he needed one more thing.  As he rubbed the spot he hit, he smiled at his shadow and said quietly, “Thank you, Aisling,” and pet the purring feline under her chin.

* * *

 

_29 June 2009 — Earth: SGC — 09:15 hours_

 

Dr. Lam just shook her head when Daniel, escorted by Vala and Aisling, walked into her domain.  With a pout, he handed the young doctor his charts that _The Eos_ medic had given him.  Carolyn pointed to his usual bed in the infirmary for his post-rescue exam.

An hour later, as he sat waiting for permission to leave, he surreptitiously texted Sam asking her to come and distract Vala for him.  He told her needed about two hours alone.  Daniel knew his friend was curious, but he didn’t have time to explain.

Sam came into the infirmary to retrieve Vala but had a hard time getting her to leave his side.  Carter finally won with the promise of manni-peddi’s and a shopping trip.  Daniel was actually happy to hand over one of his credit cards with a kiss.

After the ladies had left and he was given a not-so-clean bill of health, he and Aisling headed down to see if Jack was still around.  Sure enough, Daniel found him with Serin in the mess hall, chatting her up.  He began to suspect something was brewing with them and smiled to himself.

“Mind if we join you?” Daniel asked sitting down without waiting for an answer.  The cat jumped on the table to be included in the conversation.

Jack raised an eyebrow at them and smirked, “Ah… sure.”

“Hi, Serin.  Are you and Bran alright in your quarters?”

She smiled at him and took his hand, “Yes, and thank you.  Thank you for letting us come with.”

“Hey!” O’Neill said with a pout, “ _I’m_ the one that let you come with, don’tcha know?”

The three of them laughed for a moment.  The General eyed his friend, knowing something was up with him.  Daniel’s usually calm and collected demeanor had turned into a leg shaking, napkin ripping, mass of quivering anxiousness.  Even petting the cat didn’t seem to soothe him much.

“Um, Jack…” the archeologist said, “I… I, I… um—”

“Spit it out, Daniel! I’m not gettin’ any younger.”

Looking sheepish, he tried again, “I need a favor, Jack.  Today… um, now, actually.”

“Last time I did you a favor Danny boy, I ended up the caretaker of a distraught princess and that cat.”  His friend looked at him imploringly and Jack relented, “What do you need?”

Daniel chewed on his lip for a moment and then steeled his resolved.  Calming his breathing, he said, “I would like you to take me into town… to my bank.  I have to buy— something.  Um… a ring.  And… and I need to talk to you also.  It’s important.”

Jack’s face was inscrutable as he looked at his friend.  With a slow growing grin, and a devilish twinkle in his eye, he clapped the younger man on the should and said, “Sure, Danny.  Go get your stuff and I’ll meet the two of you up top.”

* * *

 

_29 June 2009 — Earth — 10:35 hours_

 

As Jack drove his truck down the winding mountain road, he waited for his passenger to say something.  The time ticked on in silence and the older man couldn’t take any more.

“So,” he said, startling his friend.  “Why did you need me to bring you down to the city?  I saw your Jeep in the parking lot.”

Daniel was chewing on his lip again, and doing a fair impression of O’Neill by fiddling with anything he could get his hands on.  Aisling, dressed in her service vest was snuggled in his lap and playing with a dangling air freshener.  A moment passed, and Daniel knew he should explain himself.

“Dr. Lam made me take some pain meds, so I didn’t want to drive…”

After another silent pause, Jack prodded a little more, “… aaaaannddd?”

With a long-suffering sigh, Daniel said, “I need your help… to pick out a ring.”

“What kind of ring?” Jack was enjoying goading his friend.

“An— an engagement ring,” the younger man mumbled and started to pet Aisling.

In the following silence, Jack O’Neill bit his tongue so he wouldn’t say something glib.  He could tell that Daniel was having a hard time wrapping his head around what he was planning to do.

“Are you sure about this, Daniel?”

Nodding, he looked over to the driver, “Yes.  I love her, Jack.  More than anything.  It’s taken me a long time to figure it out, but it’s real.”

Jack smiled at him, “Okay.  I can help you get a ring.”

With a sigh of relief, Daniel grinned.  Then another thought came to mind.  “Jack, how… how did you ask Sara to marry you?  If you don’t mind me asking.”

This time, it was O’Neill that stayed quiet and began to fidget.  Daniel saw his uneasiness and relented, “You don’t have to answer.  I’m sure it’s personal.”

“No, it’s not that,” Jack finally said.  “I just haven’t thought about that part of my life in a long time.  I think it was the summer of ‘80, right before I was sent on a mission to Iraq.  We were on the tarmac watching the jets land and I just sorta turned to her and asked if she wanted to get married.  Pretty sure I totally caught her off guard because she said yes.”  He laughed a little and then became quiet again.

Daniel noticed that his eyes were a bit brighter than Jack’s normally were.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories, Jack.”

“Not bad… just… just not pleasant,” he said quietly.  “But enough about that!  It’s you were doing this for, so let’s have some fun while you’re still young—ish and single.”

“I told Sam that I’d only be gone a couple of hours.  She’s entertaining Vala so I could do this.”

“What are the girls doing?”

Daniel shrugged, “Something about manni-peddi’s and shopping.”

“They’ll be gone for hours.  You, me and the cat will have some fun of our own.”

They hadn’t had the time to just hang out with each other in years.  Daniel smiled, much more relaxed, and nodded.  “Sounds good.  Ring first.  Don’t want to pick something out when I’m inebriated.  And since it sounds like that’s what you’ve got in mind…”

Jack laughed, “You, beer, pain meds… this is gonna be fun.”

Daniel looked at him suddenly concerned.  He had forgotten that he was on pain meds.

“Don’t worry, Danny Boy!  Aisling and I will keep you outta trouble.  After all, it is the Best Man’s duty to keep you safe and sound for the wife-to-be.  I _am_ the Best Man… right?”

“Of course you are, Jack.  No doubt about that.”

* * *

 

_30 June 2009 — Earth: SGC — 19:45 hours_

 

The following day, Daniel took Vala up to where he had gone into Tir Na n’Óg, his shadow close behind.  It was a warm mid-summer evening and the clouds were painted red and yellow on a beautiful blue sky.  She showed him the poem she had painted on the side of the cliff.

As Daniel read the verse, his eyes sparkled in the setting sun.  Pulling Vala close to him, he kissed the top of her head.  His heart was swelling inside and he just couldn’t wait any longer.  Turning his lover to face him, he went down on one knee, looked her full in the face, and shyly smiled.

“Vala,” he said in a quiet and slightly hoarse voice, “I realized while I was away that I’d never want to be without you again.  All I could think of was getting back to you somehow… it was the only thing that kept me going.

“When you first came to the SGC, I did everything I could to keep you at bay.  And you… you sorta scared me.  But I… you…” he was getting flustered and paused to gather himself.  “I didn’t know how empty I had become.  I know it’s been hard for you to adjust to life here on Earth and I’m _so proud_ of you for turning away from your old life.  But, in spite of everything— you are still a thief… and you have truly stolen my heart.  Will you do me the very great honor and marry me?”

He held out a white gold ring with a large blue stone surrounded by glistening diamonds.  The resemblance to the Stargate was unmistakable.  It was the most beautiful ring Vala had ever seen, but the proposal had taken her by surprise.

Vala hadn’t really entertained the idea of marriage to Daniel, even though she never wanted to be anywhere other than by his side.  Tears began to fall down her cheeks.  Biting at her lower lip, she gazed into his cerulean eyes.  The same blue as the jewels in his torque and of the gem in the ring.

Daniel began to worry.  Did he do it wrong?  Was this last mission with him being left behind just too great for her to forgive?  But on the way home ... he was sure that they had worked it out.

Then the horrible feeling that maybe she was just messing with him creeped into his head.  Or perhaps marriage was something she just wouldn’t do again.  When she was married to Tomin, it hadn’t really worked out so well.  The doubt overwhelmed him and he bowed his head so she couldn’t see the tears.  He stood and turned away from her.

“I, I… I’m… sorry… never mind…” he mumbled, then pocketed the ring and began to walk away.

Stunned, Vala stood rooted to the spot as he made his way back towards the entrance of the SGC.  She knew that her silence was read as a denial—  but it really wasn’t.  She just couldn’t answer him.  Yes, she had been married before… several times.  But to be married to Daniel was something she had not allowed herself to even _dream_ of.  In Daniel’s mind, marriage was a lifelong commitment. How could she trust herself to be with only him?  She never wanted to hurt him but didn’t have the confidence in herself to be able to remain faithful.  How could he not understand that?

Or maybe he already did.  She felt a nudge on her leg and looked down to see Aisling.  The black cat mewed at Vala, then shifted her gaze to her familiar’s retreating back.  Overwhelming emotion crashed into Vala’s heart and she knew, _KNEW_ — that Daniel was the only one she could live the _rest_ of her life with.

She ran after him calling his name.  He stopped, wiped the back of his hand across his face and turned to her, not looking up.  She placed her hand under his chin and tilted his face up to look at her.  Leaning in, she kissed him gently.

“It would be a privilege to be your wife, Daniel Jackson,” she whispered.

He looked into her eyes, searching for the truth of that statement.  When he saw it, he smiled and kissed her deeply.  A kiss that took away any doubt Vala may have had and said that he accepted her with all her eccentricities.

When they pulled apart, they took a moment just to look at each other.  The glow of their happiness almost palpable.

* * *

 

_31 October 2009 — Earth: SGC — 17:05 hours_

 

Four months passed with a flurry of brief, incident free missions for SG-1 and preparations were made for Daniel and Vala’s wedding, which had become a common conversation topic around the base.  It was fall in Colorado and the air was crisp.  Trees displayed their colorful crowns and the air buzzed with excitement.

On the chosen day, as the sun set behind the Rocky Mountains, many of the SGC personnel assembled in the clearing of what had become known as, _Tuatha Glade_.  Dress blues and service medals, all spit-n-polished for the occasion.  Jack stood next to his friend with a grin on his face, Teal’c and Cam slightly behind them.  O’Neill could tell the groom was nervous and couldn’t resist ribbing him.

“Daniel,” he said quietly, “you’ve been married before.”

The younger man slowly turned his head to the General, eyebrows high.  He couldn’t believe the man.  Taking a deep breath, he said, “In case you have come down with random voluntary amnesia, I didn’t exactly have a wedding with Sha’re… she was a gift.”

“Ah… yes… that’s right.  _A gift_.  And one you accepted rather quickly if my amnesia isn’t mistaken.”

Rolling his eyes, Daniel tried to ignore the man to his right.  Easier said than done in the case of Jack O’Neill.  Teal’c cuffed Jack on the shoulder.

“What?” he turned to see the Jaffa glaring at him, and smirked back.

The groom did not bother with his friend as a murmur of appreciation rolled in from the rear of the audience.  The two men turned to watch as Serin made her way down the aisle in a light, airy, sky blue dress.  Behind her was Sam in much the same outfit.  When the women reached the front, both of the men had their mouths hanging open.  Sam winked at Daniel.

An agonizing moment later, Daniel turned to see his bride start down the aisle.  Nothing else existed in the world.  Her long black hair was worn loose down her back with tiny blue flowers scattered here and there.  The dress was a dark blue with a lighter blue bodice, pulled tight across her bosom.  Below her waist, it flowed freely in the light fall breeze, tickling her bare feet with each step.  The flowers she held were shades of red, yellow, orange, and blue with little white baby’s breath intermixed throughout the bouquet.  Aisling padded proudly beside her, with a collar of blue flowers.

Daniel tried hard to breath.  He was very glad that he had chosen loose fitting clothing that could hide his stirring desire.  Dressed in baggy black pants that tapered down to his bare feet with a leather strap wrapping up his calves.  A long, light-colored homespun shirt, cinched at the waist with a thin leather belt.  He was also adorned with a circlet made of rich loam and autumn leaves on his head.

Just as the sun set, he took Vala’s hand with a shy smile and the turned to the front.  The crowd of friends waited, not sure who was going to perform the ceremony.  Not even the Generals knew.  Suddenly pipe music drifted all around them, but no one could see from where it was coming.  The entire glen began to glow with soft, dancing light.  Out from the forest came a group beings that no one other than Daniel had seen in hundreds of years.

Into their midst the Tuatha Dé Danann came.  There were gasps from the humans as the fair fairy folk took their place.  Ta’om went to stand beside Daniel and Jack. The older man turned slightly to eye the elf.  He still held some bitterness towards the Sidhe, but he was here for his best friend, and would behave himself.

Daniel took note of the others that made the unheard of visit into the human world— The Queen of the Day, The Speaker of Truth, The Lord of the Forest, The Gift, and Oghma.  The only one that was not there, for which he was eternally grateful, was the Green Woman.

Dagda, the father of all Tuatha, stepped forward to preside over the wedding.  He waited for the crowd to quiet down, then lifted his hands.

“Vala, little sister and Daniel, my son, know now before you go further, the paths of your lives in this world have crossed and you have formed eternal and sacred bonds.  As you seek to enter this union you should do your utmost to bring to life the dreams that exist in your hearts and give meaning to this ceremony.

“With full awareness, know that within this circle you are not only declaring your intent to be handfasted before your friends and family, but also you speak of that intent to your personal higher powers.

“The promises made today and the ties that are bound here will greatly strengthen your union for the years to come and will live on as your souls grow.  Do you still seek to enter this ceremony?”

Daniel looked into Vala’s eyes, he smiled brightly, overcome with raw emotion.  She smiled back at him with a glow on her face.  Together they said, “Yes.”

“In the culture of the Tuatha, it is believed that the soul shares characteristics with all things divine.  It is this belief which assigned virtues to the four principal directions— East, South, West, and North.  It is with this belief that we align ourselves with these elements.  Each blessing emphasizes those things which will help you build a happy and flourishing union.”

Daniel felt the weight of Dagda’s words and was worried that Vala might not want that kind of pressure.  He glanced at her and saw only love for him and no doubt at all.  He squeezed her hand.

The Tuatha smiled at the couple and continued.  He had the two of them turn to the east as he did also and said, “Blessed be this union with the gifts of the East and the element of Air.  For openness and breath, communication of the heart, and purity of the mind and body. From the East, you receive the gift of a new beginning with the rising of each Sun, and the understanding that each day is a new prospect for growth.”

The three then turned south.  “Blessed be this union with the gifts of the South and the element of fire, for energy, passion, creativity and the warmth of a loving home.  From the fire within you generate light, which you will share with one another in even the darkest of times.”

When they faced west, Daniel could see his friends.  Sam was dabbing at her eyes and he grinned at her.  Dagda said, “Blessed be this union with the gifts of the West, the element of water, for your capacity to feel emotion.  In marriage, you offer absolute trust to one another, and vow to keep your hearts open in sorrow as well as joy.”

Completing the circle, they turned north.  “Blessed be this union with the gifts of the North, the element of earth, which provides sustenance, fertility, and security.  The earth will feed and enrich you, and help you to build a stable home to which you may always return.

“Daniel my son and Vala little sister, I bid you look into each other’s eyes,” Dagda said with an expression of pride at both of them.

“Will you honor and respect one another, and seek never to dishonor?”

In unison the couple replied, “We will.”

A cord made of silk, light blue in color was draped over then under their clasped hands fastening them together.

“And so the first binding is made,” Dagda said reverently and continued.  “Will you share each other’s pain and seek to ease it?”

“We will.”

The next cord now draped over their hands was red.  “And so the second binding is made.  Will you share the burdens of each so that your spirits may grow in this union?”

“We will,” they said with smiles.

The following cord was a dark blue.  “And so the third binding is made.  Will you share each other’s laughter, and look for the brightness in life and the positive in each other?”

“We will.”

The last cord added was deep green in color.  “And so the fourth binding is made.  Vala and Daniel, as your hands are now bound together, so too are your lives and spirits.  This is a union of love and trust.  Above you are the stars and below you is the earth.  And as the stars, your love should be a constant source of light, and like the earth, a firm foundation from which to grow.” _ **[1]**_

With a soft smile, Dagda placed his hands on the couple’s shoulders and whispered a blessing in Gaelic.  It was only for them, and no one else heard.

“Daniel my son,” the Tuatha said in a carrying voice, “you have a symbol you wish to give?”

He turned to Jack, who handed him the ring, and placed it onto Vala’s finger.  Her eyes were bright and her smile sweet.

Daniel said in a quiet voice, “ _Mo ghrá_ , I give you my heart, my soul, and my life.  You’ve taken me away from a darkness I didn’t know I was in and gave me something in which to believe.  With this ring made from Naquadah I have infused my most cherished memories of us.  If we are ever parted, know that I’m always with you.  That my love is always with you.”

“Vala, little sister, you also have a symbol to give?”

Sam came forward and gave the ring to Vala.  She lifted Daniel’s hand and slid it onto his finger, and said, “My dearest love, I give you all of my heart, for you are the only one that has ever sought it.  I give you my soul, for you are the only one that has touched it.  I give you my life, for you are the only one that has guarded it.  My love for you will only grow.  With this ring made from Naquadah I have also placed my memories of us.  If we are ever parted, and we better not be,” Daniel gave a little chuckle and she smiled at him, “know that I’m always with you.  My love for you is eternal.”

The Father of the Tuatha then smiled broadly and said in a loud and carrying voice, “Before all of those who are present here and everything that is alive around us… before the heavens above, the earth below, and the ether that binds us all, I proclaim you Husband and Wife.”

Daniel placed a hand on Vala’s cheek, rubbing his thumb to dry a tear, and kissed her.  Vala deepened it, not wanting to ever stop.  When a cheer erupted they parted, smiling.  As the now married couple turned to face their family and friends, they walked down the aisle, preceded by Aisling.  The gathered threw flower petals as they passed, and the way was illuminated by the glow of thousands of tiny fairies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Handfasting Wedding Ceremony « Vows of the Heart, http://www.vowsoftheheart.com/ceramonies/handfasting-wedding-ceremony/ (accessed July 25, 2015).


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Chapter Nineteen**

_20 November 2009 — Earth: SGC — 23:45 hours_

A few weeks after their wedding, Vala walked into Daniel’s office and shut the door.  If that wasn’t ominous enough, he noticed her wringing her hands together and chewing on her lip.

“What’s wrong, love?” he asked stopping what he was working on.

She came around his desk and stood in front of him in silence for a moment.  As concerned as Daniel was, he knew not to push, so he waited quietly, rubbing her arms.

“Moswen,” she said quietly, “has General Landry reassigned you to a different team yet?”

He wasn’t sure what to expect, but it wasn’t that.

“Um… no.  It’ll be a couple of months for a spot to open.  Dr. Emerson is leaving the first of the year and I’m going to join SG-24 then.”

Taking her hands, he gave her a small smile and asked, “Why?  I’ve seen SG-1’s mission list for the couple of weeks— it’s mostly just checking out planets that the Ori had hold of.  Offering assistance to anyone that wants our help to rebuild.  And you aren’t starting school until the summer, so you’ll be able to make sure nothing happens to me.  Why such a troubled face?”

Vala looked down for a moment, chewing her lip again and petting Aisling who was lounging on his desk.  Suddenly, she threw her arms around his neck.

Whispering in his ear she said, “I’m pregnant.  Seven weeks.”

Daniel froze.

Had he heard her right?  Was he really going to be a father?  Taking a step back, he looked her in the eyes.  They were bright and he could see doubt and joy warring across her face… and the concern.

“Daniel?  Are… are you going to say anything?”  the slight hitch in her voice seemed to pull him out of his head.

“Are you sure?  I mean… really sure?”

Vala nodded, not trusting her voice.  As happy as she was, they hadn’t really had time to discuss having a family and she wasn’t sure what to expect.  An instant later, he had her in his arms spinning around and laughing out loud.  Almost overbalancing with dizziness, he sat Vala on the desktop.  She was starting to say something when her mouth became otherwise engaged.  Kissing her passionately, the father to be held her face in his hands, tilting her head back to make the kiss deeper still.  It wasn’t until soft paws and a meow drew their attention, that they broke apart.

If Daniel’s smile got any bigger, Vala was sure his face would split in half.  With a relieved grin of her own, she took his hand and placed it on her stomach.

“You are happy then, Daniel?”

“I don’t think there is a word in ANY language for how happy I am, mo ghrá.  My heart is almost to the point of exploding!  I, I… I…”

Aisling meowed again, wanting to add to the joy.

“Exactly, Aisling!” he said to the cat, then to Vala he added, “What she said.”

Touching her lips with his, the heat begin to rush through them.  Picking Vala up and carrying her over to the camp bad that was always in his office, he laid her down.  Daniel broke the kiss and moved down her neck as nimble fingers unbuttoned her blouse.

“Daniel, darling,” she said breathlessly, “the door isn’t locked—”

He made a dismissing sound around a mouthful of breast and continued his assault.  With amazing deftness he got her pants undone as well.  Sitting back and pulling her BDU’s and panties down, he smiled mischievously.

“It’s late.  No one will bother us,” he said as he dropped his pants down and crawled in between her legs.

Vala almost screamed as he entered her quickly.  She loved when he went all predatory on her.  It wasn’t going to take long to reach their nirvana this time.  Already half way there, she couldn’t stop the scream this time.  Daniel reached up and put his hand over her mouth, not wanting to chance someone hearing them fucking like bunnies in his office.  He was having a hard time keeping quiet himself.

As Vala’s orgasm rolled over her, she held tightly to her husband.  Feeling her tighten around him, Daniel tried his hardest to stay quiet but a loud moan escaped as he spilled into his wife.  He rested his forehead on hers, panting and insanely happy.

“I love you, Vala!” he said between gasps.  “You have filled my life with love, laughter…a certain amount of annoyance, but— oh, Vala.  You have given me so much,” tears stared down his check, “and now, you’ve given us a child.”

“Well,” she said as she gently wiped his tears, “you _did_ have some input you know.”

He smiled at her, “I guess we should get dressed before someone decides to come to see me.”

Vala pulled his head down for one more kiss, then nodded her agreement.

Just outside Daniel’s office door, Teal’c quietly stood guard, a smile on his face.  He had wanted to speak with his friend when he heard the unmistakable sounds of passion.  With déjà vu scenes from _The Odyssey_ in his mind, he chuckled to himself and took up his post so no one would disturb the couple.

* * *

 

_11 January 2010 — Earth: SGC — 08:30 hours_

 

December came and went on the heels of very snowy weather.  Mitchell was hounding Daniel to stay a little longer on the team after hearing that Sam was on the short list for Command of _The George Hammond_.  It was only when Vala cornered him one afternoon and threatened bodily harm if he didn’t stop.

The couple decided not to tell anyone about her pregnancy until just the right moment.  So when a briefing with SG-1 and SG-24 came up, they knew that Cam would be adamant about Daniel’s staying and resolved that now was the time to share that Vala was with child.  It was also getting harder to hide the ‘baby bump’ beneath her BDUs.

“I have a mission that will require both teams,” General Landry said to the assembled.  “P91-974 is, as far as we can tell, uninhabited but as a precaution SG-1 will go along.  The ruins there seemed to be of different origins and expect that you, Dr. Jackson, would be very interested in them.”

The folder with M.A.L.P. and UAV photos were handed out, and just as Landry had predicted, Daniel’s mouth was watering.

“I thought that this would be a good transition assignment for you.”

The archeologist merely nodded, absorbed in the photos.

“If SG-1 is sure that all is safe and sound, I’m giving SG-24 permission to stay for several months to do their thing.”

“At least…” Daniel could hardly contain his excitement, “I can already see in these photos that there are at least three different cultures in this one area alone.  Cultures that don’t have any connection to each other.  I mean— look at this!  This is clearly Roman here, and, and… this one is ancient Indonesian, and…”

“Ah-um,” Mitchell cleared his throat loudly, “before you get too enthralled, Jackson.  I’d like to know if you are absolutely, positively, and without a shadow of a doubt that you want to leave me and SG-1?”

Daniel looked over the top of his glasses at the younger man.  With a smirk, he said, “Yes, Cameron, I’m leaving you.  I didn’t want to break-up in public, but our torrid love affair is over.  I have to go back to my wife now.  It was fun while it lasted, and I have to say… you top better than anyone, but…”

By now the whole room was laughing loudly and Mitchell was beet-red as he flipped his friend the bird.  Daniel grinned and blew him a kiss.

Vala stared at her husband with such amusement and love.  He was going to leave the team, just like he promised.  She reached over and squeezed his hand as the General tried to restore a modicum of decorum to his briefing room.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please try and conduct yourselves appropriately.  Colonel Mitchell, I do not want you to harass Dr. Jackson anymore.  The move has been made.  He has agreed to accompany SG-1 on some missions if he is needed.”

Vala head snapped around to look at Daniel, wide eyes disbelief.  He could tell she was pissed.  Taking her hand, he leaned over and whispered, “Only for diplomatic missions, mo ghrá.  Nothing more.”

Her mouth a thin line and eyes squinting suspiciously, she nodded once.

“If there is nothing else…” Landry started.

“Um, General,” Daniel raised his hand.  “There is one other thing—”

“Go ahead, son.”

Taking a deep breath and smiling shyly, he said, “I just wanted you all to know, that… Vala and I are going to have a baby soon.”

“We were waiting to tell everyone for just the right moment.” Vala said into the stunned silence.

Then the room erupted into shouts of congratulations and clapping hands.  Mitchell slapped the table and reached across to shake Daniel’s hand.  Teal’c stood to embrace his friend.  Sam jumped up and ran around the table to give Vala a hug.

“When is the baby due?” Carter asked breathlessly.

“July 8th.”

Sam came as close to a squeal as anyone had ever heard out of her, “July 8th?  That’s Daniel’s birthday!!”

In the midst of all the commotion, General Landry knew it would be impossible to get the group back under control now. With a quick congratulations he made his retreat to his office. Lord knows that good news was few and far between in their line of work, and need to be enjoyed while they could.

* * *

 

_18 June 2010 — Planet Designation: P91-974 — 14:55 hours_

 

Daniel was sitting on his knees, carefully brushing dirt from an artifact.  He had been on P91-974 for five months and it seemed like he had just scratched the surface of the ruins.  Vala was sitting at the edge of the ditch he was working in, drawing on her sketch pad.  She had become quite good at cataloging and documenting the artifacts, that Daniel was very happy she was there.  Even though he was overly concerned her taking it easy, doting like a mother hen.

The main reason she was with him was because Daniel had come home a week earlier for a little R&R and had proceeded to sleep for several days.  Vala also noticed that none of his clothes fit and they had to buy him a new belt just to keep his pants on.  Concerned, she went to talk with Major Rathbone.  He was in charge of SG-24’s six soldiers while Daniel headed the eight archeologists on the team.  The pregnant woman wanted to know what her husband was doing on the planet.  He reported that Dr. Jackson seemed to always be working and that some of his colleagues would have to drag him away just to eat once in a while.  Vala insisted on accompanying them when they went back, if only to make sure Daniel wasn’t going to work himself to death.

Daniel tried to dissuade her, taking into consideration of her advanced pregnancy, but she would not take no for an answer.  So, here she sat, wearing a long skirt because BDU’s didn’t come in pregnancy size, drawing some of the items that Daniel had unearthed already.  The wind began to pick-up and she pulled her shawl tighter against the cold when it started to rain.  And not just rain, but a torrential downpour.

“Shit!!  Get everything covered!!” Daniel shouted to the rest of his team.

Scrambling out of the shallow pit and helping his wife to stand they got his area sufficiently covered.  The rain was pounding the couple as they tried to get to the shelter.  It was challenging for Vala to walk through the slippery mud causing them to move slowly.

Then Daniel heard it.  A roaring coming from behind them.  When he turned to look, panic sped through him.

A wall of water and mud was racing towards them.  He scooped up Vala and started running, but it was too late.  They both were swept off their feet by the churning water.  Daniel clung to his wife with everything he had, trying to keep their heads above the raging torrent.  He could hear her screaming and it tore his heart.

Fighting to get to the edge of the embankment, he was hit in the back of the head with something heavy.  He saw stars but kept a firm hold on Vala.  The current was gaining speed and  even though his glasses were long gone, he could still see the approaching rapids.  Kicking as hard as he could, he managed to get close enough to a passing tree to grab it.  Daniel shoved Vala onto the makeshift lifeboat, making sure she climbed out of the water.  He held on to her and the tree as they were violently tossed down the rapids.  After a short fall, the log became lodged between two huge boulders.

Using the last of his strength, Daniel pulled himself onto the tree and then onto one of the rocks.  He reached down and grabbed Vala under her arms and heaved her up next to him.  She was still alert but shaking severely.  He kissed her lightly, and then scanned around for some sort of shelter for them.  Though his vision was blurred and doubled, he spotted dark patch nearby that could very well be a cave.

“Vala,” he gasped, “I’m going to see if that’s a cave.  Hopefully, if it is, it will be empty.  Will you be able to hang on here for a minute?”

She nodded.  With another quick kiss to her head, he scrambled down the boulder and slogged through the water to where the shore began.  It took him three attempts to get up the water-logged embankment but succeeded in the end.  It was shallow cave but large enough for both of them to take shelter.  And it was a safe distance from the uncontrolled river.  Daniel jogged back to Vala, breaking off a sapling to help him get his pregnant wife up the muddy incline.

He slid down the side and began to push the little tree into the mud as deep as he could.  He waded back to Vala, taking her hands and helping her to scoot off the rock and into the pool.  With the water pulling at her long skirt, she stumbled several times even with Daniel holding onto her.  They got to the bank and he placed some large stones where the branch was shoved into the mud, to give Vala a little more leverage.

“You’re gonna have to climb, love.  I’ll help, but you have to really pull hard… okay?” he asked.

She nodded and gripped the branch.  Daniel got down on one knee and placed his shoulder under her butt and pushed.  Clawing and scrabbling for perches, with Daniel pushing her up, she slowly reached the top and pull herself over onto the level ground.

Gasping for breath, Daniel felt consciousness starting to slip.  He looked up the muddy bank and wondered if he had the energy to climb out.  He didn’t think he could when Vala’s face appeared over the edge.

“Daniel!  Come on, baby!” she yelled and reached out her hand to him.  “Don’t give up on me!”

With one last surge of adrenaline, he struggled up and out of the muddy ravine.  Laying, panting, he looked up into his wife’s face.  Daniel attempted a smile when his eyes rolled back and he passed out.

“Daniel!” she cried and slapped his face.  “Daniel, please!”

Vala looked over to the cave, gauging how far it was.  She stood and grabbed Daniel’s jacket trying to pull him through the mud.  She slipped and slide, but couldn’t budge him.  Not sure what to do, the drenched, pregnant woman attempted to wake him again with a few rather hefty slaps.  Daniel groaned and batted her hand away.  With a sigh of relief, she kissed him.

“Come on, Moswen,” she said pulling on him to get up.  “We have to get into the cave.”

Crawling, slipping and struggling, they inched closer to their destination.  Wet, cold and exhausted, they made it to the safety of the cave and huddled together.  Vala noticed blood on Daniel’s jacket and made him turn around so she could take a look.  There was a long cut on the back of his head, but it wasn’t deep.  She pulled his knife from his belt and cut a piece of her skirt that wasn’t too dirty, and pressed it against his wound.

“Ouch!” he whined.

“Oh stop being such a… ba…ahhhhhhhhh!”  Vala clutched at her swollen belly.

“What?”  Daniel turned to see her terrified face.  “Vala…?”

Another sharp pain raced through her and she grabbed Daniel’s arm.  She started to breathe through the contraction, just like when she gave birth to— no wait, she didn’t want to think of that.  This was Daniel’s baby and said baby wanted out.

“Daniel, I think I’m in labor!”

Eyes wide with shock, he stuttered at her, “No, no, no, no, no… it’s too early!!  You can’t be in labor!”

Vala snarled at him, “Trust me, I know what labor feels like… and that was a contraction!  I’ve been having those breaking chicks most of the day.”

“Braxton Hicks, mo ghrá.”  Daniel stripped off his jacket and BDU shirt.  He balled up the latter and put it behind Vala’s head.  Next, even though he was shivering violently, he pulled off his tee-shirt and after wringing it out as much as he could, he set it aside.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you would have made me go home.  I didn’t want to leave you,” she grimaced through another contraction.

“I would’ve come with you, love.  I’m not missing the birth of my child!” he said as he lifted her skirt to check how far she was dilated.

“Who the hell decided to have a dig in the middle of a river bed?” Vala grumbled.

“Ah… that would be me.” Daniel answered with a smirk.  “It hadn’t rained here for several months and as far as I know, it wasn’t supposed to either.”

“Daniel?” Vala said in between breathes, “how many times have you done this?”

He smiled at her as he pulled a small first aid kit out of his pants pocket and began to rip open antiseptic wipes to wash his hands.  Calm, cool and collected, he found the space blanket package, unwrapped it and placed the silver cloth over Vala.

“Ah… this will be my fourth delivery but the first one that is actually mine,” he said with just a hint of pride.

There was no dry wood to make a fire, but Daniel sat with Vala in his arms to keep her warm for an hour or so, timing her contractions and hoping the others would find them soon.

The rain strengthen, indifferent to the miracle that was about to happening in the small cave.  Daniel ran the back of his hand across his forehead, feeling his strength waning.  He had to keep it together, he knew his pain was a mere pittance to what Vala was enduring.

Then another spasm hit, intense and painful, as Vala clenched Daniel’s hand, screaming.  Looking at his watch, he knew it was close to time.  Slipping out from behind his wife, he maneuvered her into birthing position.

“Yep… I can see the head,” he said.  “Okay now, next contraction, I want you to push.”

“Daniel I really don’t want to have this baby in a damned cave in the middle of a monsoon!” she shouted and pushed at the same time.

“Don’t think you have much choice, my love.  Push…”

The baby’s head was crowning…

“Push…”

He could almost see the tiny face…

“Push, love… almost there…”

Through bared teeth, she yelled at him, “If you tell me to push one more time, I’m gonna kick you in the balls!!”

Daniel laughed and she pushed with a blood-curdling howl.

“How you doin’, _mo ghrá_?”

“I… just want… this baby… to come out…”

After a few more jaw clenching pushes, Vala heard the sweet sounds of their baby crying.  Daniel’s face was alight with joy as he wrapped the tiny infant in his tee-shirt and placed him in Vala’s arms.

“He’s beautiful, _mo ghrá_ ,” Daniel said with tears pooling in his eyes.  “And he’s strong… listen to that cry!”

He bundled the tiny baby in his tee shirt, checking his airways and making sure there was nothing amiss.  For being three weeks premature, the new father noted his child was only slightly undersized, but medical attention was imperative none the less.

As Vala cuddled the infant to her too keep him warm, Daniel used his combat knife to cut the umbilical cord and pressed on her stomach to dispel the afterbirth.  Not having a lot of useful things at hand, he searched his pockets for the bandana he always seemed to have with him.  Getting the cloth wet under the rain, he finished cleaning his wife and then helped her move further into the cave.  As Daniel’s adrenaline started to wane, he made sure mother and child were completely covered with the space blanket; then sat with his back to the cave wall, and Vala leaning against him. She pulled her husband’s arms around her and kissed his hand.

“What will we name him?”

They had both decided from the beginning not to know the gender or even choose a name until the baby arrived.  Daniel considered for a long time.  Taking into account that it had been the Tuatha who gave him that final shove too admit his love for the ex-space pirate, he thought a Celtic name would be appropriate. But it was both their decision.

“Well,” he began, “there was a name my dad said he would like if they ever had another son.  And it’s Celtic in keeping with my father’s heritage.  What do you think of _Teigue_?”

“Teigue…” Vala tasted the word for a moment.  “What does it mean?”

“ _Poet, philosopher_ ,” Daniel said smiling.  The baby’s little fingers wrapped around one of his, and he couldn’t help the happy sob that escaped.  “God, I can’t believe he’s here— and he’s seems none-the-worse for being early.”

“Unlike his father who can’t seem to _ever_ be on time,” Vala smiled and kissed the downy hair on her son’s head.  “Teigue is an excellent name for him, Moswen.  And what about his second name?  I know the Tau’ri love to give their children at the very least two names.”

Daniel chuckled, “It’s a cultural thing.  Don’t you have a name you would like to bestow?”

“Not really, darling.  You are the linguist, I trust you.”

“Okay, then,” Daniel said with a mischievous grin.  Having a taste for irony, he offered, “How about… _Rigley_?  It means, _clearing by a river bend_.”

“Oh, Daniel!” the new mother laughed, “perfect.  And when he asks why we named him this, we will have quite a story to tell.  Plus, the main character in that alien movie, her name was Rigley, and she kicked ass!”

A tremendous shudder ripped through Daniel’s body.  As happy as he was, his adrenaline was long gone.  Closing his eyes, he leaned his head on Vala’s shoulder.

“Just gonna rest… bit, love.  Make sure… keep yourself and Teigue warm,” Daniel’s said quietly as he felt the embrace of exhaustion overtake him.

Vala elbowed him in the ribs trying to jostle him, “Daniel… stay awake.  We have to get back to the camp.”

“JACKSON!”

She heard a distant voice calling through the loud tattoo of the rain.

“Dr. Jackson?  Vala Jackson?”

Then a black shadow streaked into the cave with a loud meow.

“Aisling!”

Major Rathbone and several others came into view.  They quickly threw blankets around the little family.

“Whoa!” Rathbone exclaimed, “you had the baby??!”

“Yes, now help Daniel.  He has a head wound and I think he maybe a bit hypothermic.”

“Yes, ma’am, well get him taken care of.  Let’s get the two of you back to base then home to Earth.  Sorry, I mean three!”

Vala wanted to stay with her husband but knew that she and Teigue needed medical care and warmth soon.  She turned to their constant companion and said, “Aisling, stay with Daniel.  Keep him safe.”

The feline actually nodded her head and curled up beside her pet.

“Don’t worry, ma’am, we’ll be right behind you.  I promise not to let him die again,” Rathbone said with a smile.

With Vala and baby on a stretcher, two soldiers took them back to the base.  It was surprising at how close they actually were.  The trip down river seemed to last for hours but in reality they ended up only five or so klicks away.  Once mother and baby were settled in a tent, an airmen radioed the SGC to let them know they were sending wounded through.  While he did that, the rest of SG-24 came in with Daniel bundled in blankets and Aisling clutched to his chest.  As soon as man and cat arrived they all were carried to the Stargate and back home.

* * *

 

_18 May 2010 — Earth: SGC — 18:15 hours_

 

The nurses were oo’ing and ah’ing over the tiny baby boy.  Vala grinned at the admiring crowd.  Daniel was out of danger and she was resting next to the small incubator where Teigue slept peacefully.  They needed to warm up the baby slowly but otherwise, Dr. Lam proclaimed him a very healthy six pound, 15 inches long, one month pre-mature bundle of joy.

Aisling seemed to take it upon herself to be her _little brother’s_ guardian and was laying on top of the warming apparatus, purring loudly.

Carter ran into the infirmary, still in field gear, and slid to a stop beside her friend’s bed.

“Oh my god, Vala!!” she could hardly keep her voice down, “You had the baby in a cave?”

Sam leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek, then looked at the newborn.  “Cam and Teal’c will be here soon.  We came back as soon as Walter dialed in and yelled it over the M.A.L.P.’s speaker.  I think he is more excited about it than me!  So what happened?  I only heard that you had him in a rain storm.  And— well, crap!  What’s his name?!”

Vala was laughing at Sam’s excitement.  “His name is, Teigue Rigley Jackson.”

Carter looked up at her friend with a quizzical expression and said, “Oh… I bet there’s a story behind that name!”

Just then, the male half of SG-1 came in to see the newest Jackson.  In next to no time, most of the base was filtering in and out of the infirmary.  Sam even brought her laptop down so that General O’Neill could share the moment from D.C.  It was the only time any of them ever saw Jack puffing happily on a cigar.  Promising that he, Serin and Bran would come to see them as soon as his duties allowed.

Later that evening, Daniel sat next to his wife in the bed.  Aisling in his lap and Teigue in his arms.  An unadulterated sense of exhilaration radiated off the Jackson family.

With a content sigh, Daniel kissed his wife and son, thanking all the _Powers That Be_ for not only the family he now held in his arms, but for his extended SG-1 and Tir Na n’Óg families as well.  He never felt as blessed, complete and whole, as he did now.


	20. Epilogue

**Epilogue: Four Years Later**

_14 March 2014 — Earth: SGC — 13:50 hours_

The marines rushed into the ‘gate room in full battle gear, guns aimed at the iris.  As soon as they were set, the titanium diaphragm spun open, revealing the event horizon.  Staff blasts ripped through the gate room as Vala Jackson fell into view.  Right behind her came Sergeant O’Connell hauling Daniel in a fireman’s carry.  Then the rest SG-24 stumbled through, several of them helping others.  Last came Mitchell and Teal’c firing frantically back through the wormhole.

“Close the iris!!” Cam yelled and the blockade slid closed.

“We need medics, **NOW!** ” Teal’c shouted.

O’Connell gently laid a quivering Daniel down on the ramp.  He had several fresh bruises and a deep cut just under one ear.  With eyes wide in terror he cowered at the end of the ramp clutching Aisling. She looked as spooked as anyone had ever seen her.  Tail puffed up, hissing and spiting, she was also bleeding from a wound on her side.

The medics rushed in with gurneys to begin shunting the wounded off to the infirmary.  Two medics attempted to lift the whimpering Jackson onto one of the beds when the archeologist started fighting and howling incoherently.  It took two more airmen to hold him down long enough for Doctor Lam to inject him with a sedative.  After the medicine began to work, they were able to get him on the gurney.  An orderly gently picked up Aisling and placed her on Daniel’s chest.  When the two came together, both settled down enough to get them to the medical wing.

General Landry walked in and up to his flagship commander for a quick sitrep.  Cam was bent over with his hands on his knees, panting.  He had blood running down his arm but refused to leave with the medics.  Vala was sitting at the end of the ramp, shaking and in shock as she cradled something in her hands.

“What the hell happened?”  Landry asked.

“We had to scram out of there fast, sir,” Cam said in between heavy gasps.

“I could tell that much for myself, son.  What in god’s name happened to Dr. Jackson?”

Landry then saw what was lying in Vala’s hands— the broken pieces of the torque that Daniel had worn for the last few years.  She looked up at the General, then disintegrated into tears.  More medical personnel came in to take the distraught woman to the infirmary.

“There were monks on P82-331, and they took exception to DanielJackson being in their temple, reading their sacred text,” Teal’c said.  “And apparently the presence of a feline in their holy place also seemed to enraged the priest.”

The remaining member of SG-24, O’Connell, shook his head and asked, “Didn’t our intel on the planet came back as uninhabited?  There wasn’t supposed to be anyone still using the place.  I mean, the only reason the Colonel and Teal’c were there was to help us set up camp.”

“This mission was one General O’Neill gave the green light too, O’Connell.  I was only made aware of the OP when I returned from personal leave,” Landry said.

Mitchell rubbed a grubby hand over his face and continued, “Anyway, Jackson was inside, doin’ his rubbings and scribbling, happy as a clam.  Vala was documenting the outside of the building, SG-24 was setting up camp outside, me and Teal’c were doin’ a quick parameter check.  When we heard the commotion, I looked over to see Daniel puking by the entrance, then he just sorta disappeared.”

“From my vantage point I could observe two men pulling DanielJackson into the temple by his feet.  As ValaJackson ran to help him, the door was slammed shut,” Teal’c added.

Mitchell continued, “By the time we got the door opened… ‘bout eight guys in dresses had Jackson on the ground beating the shit outta him.  I got no idea where the hell they even came from!  One of ’em had the busted torque in one hand, and Aisling by the throat in the other.”

Teal’c picked up the report, “The priest dropped them when we shot above their heads and they all disappeared into hidden passages, but— the damage was done.  What has happened to DanielJackson with the destruction of his torque… I do not know.  The consequences were never told to us, and he was too traumatized to say anything.”

With a few deep breaths Cam continued, “We grabbed him and the cat and booked outta there.  Half way to the ‘gate, a swarm of crazy monks appeared outta nowhere chasing after us with old Jaffa weapons.  And then Jackson tried to get away from us, kicking and screaming nonsense––  He was scared to death— of _us_!”  Cam then looked at Teal’c and said, “Like he didn’t know us!  Not even his own wife!”

“DanielJackson could not be calmed down.  I was forced to zat him just to get him to the Stargate.”

General Landry pinched the bridge of his nose, “Okay.  Well… the rest of you get checked out and meet me for a debrief in one hour.”

As the General left, Cam slapped Teal’c on the shoulder and said, “Come on, T… let’s go see how Daniel is doing.”

“And ValaJackson as well.”

* * *

 

_Date: Unknown — Planet Designation: P2X-3YZ  — Time: Unknown_

 

Daniel opened his eyes to see something he thought never to see again— the stone cavern of Tir Na n’Óg.  Taking a tentative step forward he spotted Ta’om sitting with Dagda at a table.  But the happiness that he remembered was nowhere to be felt.  A chill— the type you get when you walk into a morgue, crawled up his spine.

His attention was then drawn to a hazy vision of Vala sitting beside a bed in the SGC infirmary.  She was petting Aisling and holding… _his_ hand.  How could that be?  Daniel’s gaze then went to the table beside her and he reached for his neck merely to have the questing fingers feel only flesh.

His torque was gone.

“No,” he whispered and looked back towards the two fairy folk.  Face stricken, he ran to the table, “ _Please_ … brother,” he cried, “no… _don’t do this_ …”

Ta’om shook his head sadly, “I am sorry, Master Daniel, there is nothing we can do.”

“But… but… **IT’S YOUR MAGIC!!**   You can change it… fix it… can’t you?”

“I am _very_ sorry,” was all the slight man said.

“Ta’om, brother… I, I have a _son_ now.  He needs me, _le do thoil **[i]**…” _ Daniel was begging, tears escaping his eyes.

“The magic cannot be undone, dear one,” Dagda told the man.

Daniel fell to his knees.  For all these past years and countless missions he had managed to keep his end of the Tuatha’s gift pact.  Even when the Imbas Forosnai was almost too much to bare.  When thieves from the Lucian Alliance tried to cut the torque from his neck, he fought them tooth and nail until Vala and Aisling managed to find and rescue him.  Now… now all was lost.

_But I must warn you, you may never take it off.  If it comes off, even by accident, the gifts that we bestow on you will flee and leave you broken and quite mad._

The words seared his mind like a staff blast, he crumpled to the floor and wept.  Daniel felt a hand on his head and looked up to see the same woman who had given him the torque.  Her masked face impassive as always, yet he felt sympathy from her.  She took his head in her long fingered hands and looked deeply into his cerulean eyes for what seemed like an eternity.  Suddenly, Daniel fell back onto the floor, unconscious.  When he woke, he was being held by Ta’om.

“My son,” said the father of all Tuatha as he kneeled beside them, “the Gift has given you a great blessing.  Because you have the blood of the Tuatha, you may stay here, with your kin and live forever— or you can go back.  If you decide to go back, you will forfeit ever being able to return, as your father once did.”

Shaking his head Jackson answered quickly, “There is no choice, Father, I will not leave Vala or my son.  I have to go home.”

All three of the fairy folk surrounded the man.  A blinding light enveloped all of them, filling the archeologist with warmth.

“We cannot undo the magic, but we can sometimes go _around_ the edge.  Be steadfast and all will be well,” Dagda told him with a smile. “Blessed be, Daniel of the Tuatha.”

The world around him began to fade and Daniel panicked, “Wait… what’s going to happen?”

* * *

 

_16 March 2014 — Earth: SGC — 23:10 hours_

 

Waking from a confusing dream, Daniel screamed out and tried to kick off the blankets that were twisted around him.  Vala leaped up, as Aisling tried to get out of the way of his thrashing.

“Shhh, shhhhh, my Moswen,” she said as she laid her warm hands on his face, drawing his attention.  “It’s okay, darling.  We are back at the SGC.  There’s nothing to be afraid of now.”

She smiled warmly at him.  Daniel’s eyes were wide with confusion.

“Daniel?” she asked, fear in her voice.

“What the hell happened?”

Vala looked at him with concern.  Taking his hand she asked, “Don’t you remember?  The monks… on the planet where we were setting up a dig?”

Closing his eyes, brows creased, he tried to recall what she was talking about.

“Last thing I remember was you arguing with me about the validity of being in a cave with no treasure.  How do you know the name _Moswen_?  And what’s with the cat?”

The color drained from her face.  “Daniel, what day is it?”

Cocking an eyebrow, he said, “The forth of August 2008.  Why?”

Vala’s head dropped to the bed and her shoulders trembled.

“What’s going on?  Why are you crying?”

His wife sat up, pulling Aisling onto her lap, petting the soft fur.  With a long sigh, she said, “It’s March 16, 2014, Daniel.  We were on P82-331 to start an archeological dig when some very unpleasant monks attacked you.  I know the name Moswen because you told me the story about how you broke your leg as a little kid and that was what your Egyptian friends called you.  The cat is Aisling and she belongs to you and you to her.  She was a gift from the Tuatha Dé Danann.”

Taking a deep breath, Vala braced herself, knowing that if he believed he was back in 2008, he may not accept what she was going to tell him.

“Daniel, we’ve been married for almost five years and we have a son, Teigue.  He’s four years old and smart as whip.”

The incredulous expression on his face, spoke volumes.  Daniel opened his mouth, shut it, then opened again, “Am I being punked?”

“No, love.  Our anniversary is October 31, 2009 and Tei’s birthday is the 18th of June 2010.  Please try to remember,” she pleaded.

Shaking his head, he laid back to processes everything.  Aisling jumped from Vala’s lap onto his bed and took her customary place on his chest.  Daniel began to absent-mindedly pet her.  He wasn’t ready to take what he’d been told as fact yet, but having the cat and Vala with him felt right… like he was home.  He only hoped that if everything was the truth, he would remember quickly.

Turning to look at the beautiful woman that annoyed him so much, and smiled softly.  “Sounds like you have quite a tale to tell, Vala.”

* * *

 

_16 April 2015 — Earth  — 16:00 hours_

 

Sam knocked on the door and shifted the presents she held in her arms as she waited.  The door opened and a harried Vala grinned at the visitor.

“Oh, Samantha!” she exclaimed and threw her arms around the blonde woman, “Come in!”

Slightly out of breath, Carter walked in only to be almost bowled over by a rambunctious five year old.

“Auntie Sam!!” the boy squealed with glee.

“Hey there, Teigue, how’s my big boy?” she asked the child.

“5 by 5, General!” he answered with a very good salute.

Sam saluted back, “And how’s swim class? Are you learning a lot?”

“Yes, Ma’am.  And I’m gonna be on a swimming team soon too.  ‘cept I don’t really like the name— ‘The Guppies.’  It’s lame.  I wanted it to be the Sharks, but coach said he hated that hockey team ‘nd wouldn’t ever name somethin’ after them.  Oh, and in school today, we are starting to learn ‘bout the Milky Way.  I told my teacher that I knew a real life astro… astro…fisk-a-sist.  She said that I could ask you to come and talk to my class sometime soon,”  Teigue told her with all the excitement only a child could exude.

“Wow!  You’re wearing me out, Tei!” she said as she handed him one of the packages that she was carrying.  “This is for you, young man.  A little bird told me you were interested in space.”

Teigue took it with a breathless thanks and ripped off the wrapping.  Inside was a model of the solar system that glowed in the dark.  With a joyful laugh, the boy hugged her again and ran to his room.

“He’ll be staring at that for hours, Sam.  Thank you,” Vala said.  “I wasn’t sure about letting him be moved into first grade at his age, but he seems to love it.  He’s much happier in that class, even though he’s so much smaller than the rest.  His father said it was the same for him.”

“Speaking of which, I have something for Daniel too,” she said holding up a small box.

As the two women made their way further into the house, “How are you and Daniel doing?  Has he remembered anything yet?”

With a sigh she said, “No.  All of his life before the cave-in is crystal clear, but the last six years are totally gone.  Some days, all I want to do is find this Tir Na n’Óg place and commit genocide on the fairy folk.”

“He doesn’t even recall going there?”

Shaking her head, Vala said, “Nope.  Occasionally I’ve seen him sitting, just looking at his legs, as if he’s imagining being without them.  And he’ll stay in his office and read his journals for hours.  But it’s the lost look that has settled on his face, that just tares at my heart.”

“You’ll get him back, Vala.  I’m sure of it,” Sam told her and gave another hug to her friend.  “It’s only been a year.  I just wish I could be around more often, but I agreed to the promotion and _The George Hammond_ command before any of this happened.”

“It’s okay, Sam.  Some of this has been kinda fun.  It’s like getting to know each other all over again.  I’m just not sure it’s the same feelings that he had before.  Almost like he’s playing along for the sake of Tei.  I know he loves his son, but I’m not sure that his love extends to me,” Vala said as her eyes began to tear-up.

As they walked into the family room, Daniel was sitting on the floor with books opened to various pages surrounding him.  Sam recognized all of them as being the very books that they had all studied on Irish folklore.  Laying beside him, as always, was Aisling, sleeping in the sun.

Looking up, he smiled.  Standing to embrace his friend he said, “Hey, Sam.  I didn’t know you were due back in this neck of the woods.”

“Hello, Daniel,” she said as she hugged him back, “I brought you a present.”

“A present?” he said as they all sat down.  Aisling leaped into his lap and sniffed at the box as Tei curled up beside him to see what he had.  “And to what do I owe the pleasure of  receiving this gift, hmmm?”

“Just something I hope will help you remember,” Sam said.

Daniel opened the box to find photographs of his and Vala’s wedding.  As he slowly went through them, his eyes became bright with emotion.  When he saw a photo of Vala holding a newborn Teigue, himself holding Vala and Aisling, all sitting on the bed in the infirmary, he couldn’t hold back the soft sob.  Putting the box down, he pulled Vala and his son into a hug.

Squirming out of the embrace, Tei reached inside the box and pulled out something that glisten under the last photo.  Holding it up, the adults gasped in surprise.  In his small hand was the mended torque.

“Sam?  Did you…” Vala whispered.

“No,” she answered totally bewildered.  “I don’t know where it came from.”

Daniel reached out to take if from his son’s hands, asking “Can I see that, Tei?”

As soon as Daniel’s fingers grasped the metal, Aisling placed a paw on his arm, and images raced through his mind.  Letting out a gasp, his head fell back against the couch.

“DANIEL!” Vala screamed and shook him.

A few moments later, he opened his eyes and turned to his wife, astonishment on his face.

“ _I remember_.”

 

**~Fin~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [i] Le do thoil - Please


	21. Glossary

> **Glossary**  
> 
> 5 by 5:              Everything is all good
> 
> Bag of dicks:    Describes a problematic or intractable situation
> 
> Crystal:            Clear, lucid. All normal
> 
>  **Fangs Out** **:** Ready for combat action
> 
>  **Football Bat:**    Used to describe a person or system that is unusually odd
> 
>  **Frosty:**             Alert, watchful
> 
>  **HUA:** Heard, Understood, Acknowledged
> 
>  **Goon Up:**         To foul up                                                                                                     
> 
>  **ISO Room:**       Isolated Room
> 
>  **JAG:**                Judge Advocate General
> 
>  **Jarhead:** A Marine
> 
>  **Klick:**               A kilometer
> 
>  **Milkrun** **:**          A routine mission
> 
>  **Old Man, The:** Base commander
> 
>  **OO-RAH:**        Affirmative to a question, acknowledge an order
> 
>  **Outstanding:**    Sarcastic expression for screwed up plans or situations.  Also can be used as praise
> 
>  **Punch Out:**      To eject from an aircraft
> 
>  **Rack Time:** The time for sleep
> 
>  **Sitrep:** Situation Report
> 
>  **SNAFU:**           Situation Normal, All Fucked Up
> 
> * * *
> 
> ** Irish to English Translations **
> 
> _Fanacht anseo - Stay here_
> 
> _Is breá liom tú - I love you_
> 
> _Ó Dia maith – Oh, good god_
> 
> _Is é mo ghrá duit síoraí –_ _My love for you is eternal_
> 
> _Le do thoil - Please_


End file.
